Mixing Business with Pleasure
by the-kuronekosama
Summary: Rin lands a job at a prestigious accounting firm, and her new boss is extremely distracting. A/U fic w RinXSesshoumaru pairing (Inuyasha/Kagome cameos; Miroku/Sango on the side).
1. Chapter 1

_Author Notes: Rin completed a year of grad school in this, meaning she is 23-years-old going into this fic. Maru is around 29 or 30 years old (you can't have a 24-year-old partner in an accounting firm—I'm pushing it with Maru being under 30). Also, I kept their names in Japanese style (first name last), even if they are in New York._

Tsubaki Rin stepped out of the taxicab, black high heels hitting the pavement with determination as their owner secured her purse strap around her shoulder and gripped the handle of her first briefcase. Rin eyed the imposing front doors of Durst and Sung's New York headquarters with awe, and her head tilted back as her eyes moved up the structure's eighty-six floors. _Calm down, Rin...it's just a job. True, it's the job you'll have for the rest of your life...it's your first real job...but it's just a job all the same. Calm down._ Hearing the taxi driver clear his throat, Rin reached into her purse and drew out a twenty. Handing him the bill and telling him to keep the change (it was only a three dollar tip anyway), Rin firmly shut the back door and clunked her sleek high heels to the entrance, which had three sets of revolving doors.

Walking in, Rin paused for a moment to look around. The building's first floor lobby wasn't exactly crowded, but it was no dentist's waiting room either. People in sharp suits with professional expressions on their faces passed by quickly, and they looked like they all had to be somewhere five minutes ago. Rin spotted the security desk near the back of the lobby, around the corner from the elevators. It was where she was supposed to check in for her first day as a financial analyst. She would only be an assistant to someone else for her first three or four years, but that was fine with Rin—getting pushed into a job like that without much experience except a summer internship with Meryl Finch was not exactly her biggest dream. Having this opportunity to live and work in such a huge, bustling city after spending her entire life in a medium-sized town...now that was a big dream.

From across the lobby, Rin spotted a tall man in a black trench coat and a dark gray suit headed towards the elevators with a black leather briefcase in tow. Unlike the people around him, he looked calm and solid—a real businessman. He had thick, blue-black hair, and he obviously had a nice body under that coat. Rin ogled him for a bit as she slowly strolled towards the security desk. _Who is that hunk? I hope he works on my floor. If not...well, I guess I still get to see him in the lobby every morning._ Sighing, Rin arrived at the security desk to see a very cute guard manning the phones. He looked up when she approached the desk, his pretty brown eyes gazing up at her with a questioning look on his face. Eyeing his nametag, Rin announced her arrival,

"Good morning, Kohaku! My name's Tsubaki Rin, and this is my first day at D&S, so I was told to come see you first thing. Nice to meet you!" Taijiya Kohaku smiled brightly at her over-enthusiasm, which practically melted Rin's heart, and he shook hands with her, saying,

"Likewise, Rin. We're going to set you up with a badge saying you're an employee, and then I'll give you directions up to the correct office." Motioning to the other guard to let him know he was leaving for a bit, Kohaku stood up, keys jingling at his side...right next to his handgun. Rin was never comfortable around guns, but she just kept her gaze away from the object and followed him to a door behind and to the right of the desk.

At the elevators, Sesshou Maru waited with about eight other people for the elevator to come down and pick them up. Turning to glance around the lobby in boredom, his eyes landed on what had to be a nymph. A young girl, perhaps early twenties, was speaking to Kohaku with the prettiest smile he had ever seen. She was extraordinarily beautiful—not in the way a movie star is beautiful, but she was fresher and livelier. Her long black hair was tied in a long braid that hung down heavily from her head to the small of her back. Her dark blue blouse, black jacket, and black skirt fitted her form like a lover's hands, and Maru couldn't help but wish her skirt didn't reach all the way down to her knees. _She looks like a new employee. Kohaku will probably get her on a date before I can._

Maru knew only too well how girls flocked to the security guard, even if he was only that—a security guard. His job type, his uniform, his youth, his looks, and his personality...he usually got to the new girls first._Another lost opportunity._ Convincing himself that she wasn't his type, he made sure his face looked expressionless and, taking a deep breath, pulled his eyes away from the girl as Kohaku led her to the back room for an employee badge mug shot. The elevator dinged, and the group piled in, headed up for their doses of the daily grind. Maru couldn't help himself, though, and watched her bright face until the elevator doors closed off his view.

Rin gave Kohaku her best smile when he took her picture for the badge, and then watched him pull the little picture out of the huge bulky camera. He set it on the table while waiting for the image to appear on the film, and turned to Rin.

"So where are you from? If you don't mind me asking..." Kohaku said, genially. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms, the muscles underneath rippling. _Oh, he's so cute! Not as handsome as the guy in the lobby, but he's still good-looking._ Rin blushed, and answered shyly,

"This really small town in Iowa. There's probably more New Yorkers riding the subway than there are people in my town." He laughed at her joke, a really sexy laugh, and Rin's face got a little redder. Smiling, he chuckled through his next sentence,

"You're funny. I can tell already that everyone is going to like you." Rin's face lit up at that—she wanted people to like her here, especially if she was going to spend a good chunk of her time in this building.

"Really? I hope so. I'm so nervous." Kohaku's eyes were shining with mirth, and he lifted his hip from the table to turn and check the photograph.

"Looks like it's ready. You'll need to fill out the information on this card," he said, handing her a blank beige card, "and then I'll put it all together and laminate it for you." While Rin turned to a counter on the side and leaned down to start writing with a pen she pulled from her purse, Kohaku couldn't help but admire her rear end for a couple of seconds. His cheeks turned red, and he spun away from her to get her paperwork out of an immaculately clean file cabinet.

As Rin finished signing her name in the tiny space they left for her, she capped her pen and tossed it in her purse, which sat next to her briefcase on the counter. Looking it over as she turned to hand it to the security guard, Rin blew on it to dry the ink and then glanced up to see Kohaku skimming a sheet of paper, his cheeks as red as bricks. Biting on her lip to keep herself from smiling, Rin held out the card to get his attention.

"Oh, thanks. Okay, now," he said, taking the card from her, "your new boss wants to see you first. His name is Sesshou Maru, 71st floor, Room 7146. Take these papers up to his secretary...erm, I forget his name—can't remember everybody—but I do know he's an ugly little guy, no offense to him." Kohaku handed her the folder of papers he had been looking at, and Rin smiled at his joke. "I'll just take care of your badge and you'll be set to go." Rin watched as he put her picture onto the card and laminated it in an old-looking little machine on a side table. Snipping off the excess, he turned to Rin, handing her the ID card.

"Looks like you're on your way now." He smiled, getting Rin a little flustered, but she thanked him and slipped the ID card into her briefcase. She then picked up her things, and Kohaku put his hand on the doorknob to open it for her, but didn't turn the handle. Grimacing at the door, he visibly blushed.

"Uhm...before you go. Would—would you like to go to dinner sometime?" He turned to meet her startled face. Rin's mouth had parted, and she fought to make her brain function correctly. _My first day at work and I'm already getting a date! New York rocks!_ She plastered a smile on her face and answered,

"That sounds great! I haven't been to any of New York's restaurants yet, and I'm dying to try one." The tension in Kohaku's shoulders left, and he smiled broadly at the girl next to him.

"What kind of food do you think you'd like?" Rin thought for a moment, and then declared that she wanted to try New York's pizza. Writing down her phone number on the pad of paper Kohaku kept in his shirt pocket, they decided to eat dinner that night at seven. Finally emerging from the back room, Kohaku pointed out which set of elevators to use, and Rin shyly smiled at him as she ran to catch one on its way up. He waved as the elevator doors closed, and Rin smiled at her reflection in the doors once they had.

_-Seventy-One Floors Up-_

Stepping off the elevator, Maru turned down the hall and followed it around a corner. Then turning into a wide hallway, he passed by a secretary named Ahun who was on her way to her boss's office. She waved at him, but Maru only inclined his head. Continuing on, he pushed open his outer office door and found Jaken on the phone at his desk, which was covered with memos, letters, and the like. _Mondays are the worst._ Jaken grunted into the telephone, then finally hung up and shimmied around the desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Sesshou! You've got a meeting at ten with a client, another at eleven with Mr. Houshi, and lunch at the Palm at 12:30 with Mr. Houshi. Oh, and the front desk just called up. The new recruit that personnel hired to replace Yura is here and she's on her way up. Personnel said that she came from Gale with a lot of recommendations." Jaken handed Maru some messages and letters, but Maru simply raised an eyebrow in reaction to Jaken's last announcement.

"A new one? What is the woman's name?" Jaken managed to make himself into a laughingstock when he squawked and ran around to the other side of his desk to grab the little note he had scribbled down, spluttering out,

"Tsu—Tsubaki Rin, Mr. Sesshou! She'll be here within the next five minutes, I'm assuming." Maru simply continued on to his office, swinging the door open and flicking on the light. _Great, another college kid with no experience, just a bunch of book knowledge._ Well, as long as she was intuitive, unlike Yura, who was as slow as a third-grader—if she could pick up things quickly, he wouldn't mind training a new recruit. After hanging his coat on the coat rack near the door, he walked to his smooth mahogany desk, centered in front of the full-length windows and covered with stacks of papers, however neatly arranged. Maru set his briefcase in his leather chair and pulled off his jacket, setting it on the back. He switched on the desk lamp and pressed the button on a little remote control kept inside his desk drawer—like magic the shades to the windows slid closed to block out the morning sun, which made the room as hot as Hades if the shades weren't down.

Pulling out his laptop and arranging things on the desk, he shuffled papers for a few moments before a buzz echoed from his phone on the corner of the desk,

"Mr. Sesshou, Tsubaki Rin is here to see you." Reaching across to tap the intercom button, Maru closed his laptop with his other hand and replied,

"Send Miss Tsubaki in, Jaken." He then set a legal notepad in front of him and picked up his favorite pen. Looking up as the door opened, the girl from downstairs peeked her head around and gave him a brilliant smile. _Correction: Mondays are the best._ Maru could feel his heartbeat pick up immediately, but fought the blush that was trying to make itself known on his cheeks. _Why the hell am I blushing? I'm next in line for a CEO position at one of the big accounting firms in the United States, and I'm blushing!_ Standing up, he attempted to smile for the beautiful girl, even if he was out of practice. Rin opened the door completely and stepped inside, which made it hard for Maru to ignore how well her body was shaped, even if it was mostly hidden from his eyes underneath those clothes. Behind Rin, Jaken choked on something at seeing his ice-cold boss smile, and quickly shut the door behind the new recruit, coughing into his hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Sesshou! It's a pleasure to meet you," Rin gushed, obviously excited. She walked quickly up to the desk and extended her hand, shaking his hand vigorously. "I'm so thrilled to finally be starting my new job!" Rin knew she was acting like a moron, but seeing her dream man sitting behind the desk just made her IQ drop drastically. Without his coat, Rin could see a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and wondered how far down it went. He was the kind of businessman that wore silk ties and the suspenders to match, and his sharp image just made Rin's heart thud inside her chest. _My dream guy is my boss! How great and yet how awful! No one is allowed to date one's boss! New York sucks!_

Maru slowly found it easier to keep the smile on his face upon seeing the blush that rose to her cheeks and feeling the soft hand in his own. He let his thumb rub one of her knuckles for a split second before releasing her hand. Taking her small stack of papers to leaf through for the pertinent information, Maru leaned back, admiring the tone of her skin as she fidgeted where she stood.

"Please have a seat, Miss Tsubaki." Motioning to the leather armchairs situated on the other side of his desk, Maru seated himself and pulled the notepad into his lap. Rin, as she put down her purse and briefcase before sitting down gingerly on the edge of the chair, said,

"Please call me Rin. Tsubaki sounds too dark to me, though I haven't a clue as to why." Maru couldn't help now but smile, however odd it was to be smiling so much in one morning. He nodded, and asked,

"Just so I can contact you, I'll need your phone number and address for emergencies." _And in case I want to ask you out._ Wondering where that last thought came from, Maru handed Rin the legal pad and his pen. As she wrote, she asked,

"What sort of emergencies, Mr. Sesshou?"

"Call me Maru, just to be fair. Well, sometimes a client may have just be subpoenaed for a lawsuit and they are concerned about the amount of a settlement, so they need to meet with their analyst as soon as possible." Nodding her head as she handed the pad back to him, Rin blushed when his eyebrow lifted upon seeing where she was living.

"This is not exactly a safe New York neighborhood, Rin. And it's a 25-minute taxi to the main office every morning. You're only staying here temporarily, correct?" When the girl dropped her gaze away, he knew before she even said anything that it was where she was staying on a more permanent basis.

"Well, I have a lot of loans to pay off, and I haven't actually taken in any money since I quit my college job at the bank, which was a month ago. So I decided to live thin for a year, and pay everything off, so that I could start out fresh." Rin fidgeted with the strap of her purse while she spoke, and Maru watched her soft hands, one of which was wedged between her knees. _I wish I were wedged between her legs._ Pinching his own leg behind the desk in order to keep his mind on the right subject, Maru continued,

"You know, you have ten years to pay off those loans. And besides, the company wants all of its analysts, whether they've been with the company for one day or thirty years, to be within reasonable distance to the office unless they're out of town on business. We'll have Jaken call up a real estate agent to find you a suitable place to live within walking distance, if possible." Maru wrote down a few things on the notepad below her writing, Rin looked up at his handsome features, uncertain how to convey her point.

"I-I haven't calculated how much I can afford per month, but I know I can't afford anything in this area. My place is fine until I get on my feet, Maru," Rin assured him. Maru's chest tightened a bit when she used his name. He smiled at her again, in response to her saying his name, but played it off as if he was trying to be affable.

"I'm not sure how much the recruiter told you about your job specs, Rin, but fill me in please." Rin blushed again at his gorgeous smile, which Maru was quick to notice, and answered,

"Mr. Manten said that I would have a starting salary of $25,000 a year with some stock options, health pla—" Maru cut her off here, his eyes confused and his mouth open a bit.

"H-he said $25,000 a year? What a moron..." Rin's face fell.

"It's less? O-oh...I didn't kn—" Cutting her off again, Maru leaned across the desk, a smirk on his handsome face, which got Rin's heart fluttering inside her ribcage like a bird.

"Rin, your starting salary is $45,000 a year...approximately. Mr. Manten is old, but we keep him around because he's a nice guy. He probably gave you the wrong figure on accident. My question," he said, admiring the way her cheeks flushed, "is why you came to Durst and Sung, thinking that you'd be paid so little when other offers must have been higher than Mr. Manten's?" Rin, unable to hold his gaze, dropped her eyes to her purse strap again, twisting it in her hands.

"My dad used to work in New York before we moved, and he said it was a really great place to live if you knew how—and no other offers had a job vacancy in New York. I...I'm used to living with parents that earned $40,000 a year together, so I was pretty sure I would be fine by myself...I just wanted to live in the Big Apple, I guess." Rin looked up to gauge his reaction, and couldn't help but return the smile he was giving her._Be still my heart! He's so handsome...why did he have to be my boss?_

"Well, welcome to the Big Apple, Rin. Let's hope nothing untoward happens to you in that neighborhood until you move to some other place. I do happen to know that, in my apartment building, the elderly couple down the hall is planning to move to Florida in about three weeks. I'll talk to them and give Jaken their names for the real estate agent. It's only an option, though—don't feel pressured." _If you come to live in my building, it makes it much easier to ask you out._ Pinching his leg harder, Maru wrote down a few more things on the notepad.

Rin's heart fluttered inside her chest after hearing what he had to say..._$45,000 a year...in his apartment building...welcome to the Big Apple._ Rin dug her nails into her purse strap and took the opportunity to admire his broad shoulders as he jotted down notes. Glancing at his neck, which was bent down a bit, Rin eyed the ponytail, wishing she could free his hair and run her hands through it.

"Your office is the other door that was inside Jaken's area. It's a bit dusty because Yura left us a month ago, but it should be empty. You'll get a laptop for business use if you visit the personnel office," he said, glancing at her papers, "and no one really cares if you put personal things on there. The window outside the office will eventually have your name on it, but the maintenance staff can be a bit slow about changing the names. As for today," Maru said, looking up at Rin's happy expression, "I'm meeting a higher-up for lunch today at a pretty good restaurant. I'm sure Mr. Houshi would like to meet you." _I just hope he doesn't flirt with you the way he does with all the other women he has met._

"Uhm, I don't have a lot of cash on me right now, but thanks any—" Maru waved his hand at her, interrupting yet again. _He seems to do that a lot._

"The restaurant will put it on the company's tab. Don't worry about it. We'll leave at 12:00, so you've got a few hours to settle into your office and pick up the laptop. This is a list of software programs you'll need for it," he said, handing her one of the papers in his hand that was mixed in with hers. "Sango in the personnel office will also take care of business cards, if you want them. I do have a meeting in about thirty minutes, so if you would like to sit in, be my guest." Maru enjoyed getting the woman flustered, and she did it so prettily. Rin looked like she was a five-year-old looking at the entrance to Brisney World. She nodded at everything he said, leaning toward him expectantly the whole time, which made her luscious perfume drift to his nose.

"It's so much to take in, but I'm so ready for it, Maru. I promise to do my best," Rin piped up, a bright grin on her face. _By God, she's beautiful_, Maru thought to himself. Standing up, he set the legal pad and pen on his desk and walked around it. Rin stood up, briefcase and purse in hand, and preceded him to the door as he spoke,

"Usually, the ten o'clock we have today is fifteen minutes late, but try to be back here at five minutes to ten if you can." With his hand settled in the small of her back, he opened his office door, his cold mask back in place.

"Jaken, give Rin directions to the personnel office and the key to the other office. Buzz me when the ten o'clock gets here." Jaken scrambled around his desk, his chubby little hands working like magic to find the right key.

"Certainly, Mr. Sesshou!" Rin gave Maru a small smile as he leaned back inside his office and shut the door, a tiny smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. Jaken grumbled out concise directions and finally found the key to the other office. Rin thanked him and let herself into the other room, flipping on the light using the switch by the door. It was almost exactly like Maru's office, except there were no stacks of papers adorning the surface of the desk. Rin allowed herself to spin around a few times in glee, but then smoothed her skirt and made a fist. _It's time to finally start the rest of my life._

_-A Few Floors Down-_

As Rin opened the door to the personnel office, she was greeted with quite an odd sight. A man with short black hair (except for a tiny little dragon tail at the nape of his neck) in a very nice business suit, was getting smacked by a woman in a stylish black and red dress with very long, straight black hair, tied high in a ponytail.

"Pervert! I go out with you once and you think it's suitable to grope me whenever you want! This, Miroku, is sexual harassment, and I'll drag your ass to court if I have to!" the lady said, her cheeks red with either anger, excitement, or embarrassment—Rin couldn't exactly tell. Miroku rubbed his cheek and tried to smile jovially.

"But Sango," he began, which alerted Rin to the fact that she had found the right office, "I just came by to ask you out again. I'm trying to show my affection here!" He grinned lecherously, which got Sango's face even redder, and she pursed her lips in frustration.

"Well, your _affections_ after only one date should not be shown by groping me." Miroku's grin fell into an easy smile, and he stroked his hand up her arm. It was then that Sango noticed Rin, and squeaked in surprise. Miroku turned around and flashed a smile at Rin, but Rin made sure to temper her reaction to look as if she were merely being polite by smiling back. _Miroku is definitely off-limits—Sango here looks like she needs a guy like him._

"Uh—hi! I'm here to see Sango," Rin said, pointing at the woman behind Miroku. He glanced back at Sango, whose cheeks had finally returned to a normal color. She stood up a little straighter and nudged Miroku to step aside.

"Good morning, Miss..." Sango began.

"Tsubaki. It's Tsubaki Rin, but please call me Rin. Maru told me you could set me up with a laptop for work. It's my first day," Rin explained, beaming up at the taller woman. Sango already seemed enchanted by the young girl. True, she was perhaps only two years older than Rin, but working in a building with a letch really made a girl grow up fast. Throwing a glare to Miroku, who didn't know why he was being glared at, Sango gripped Rin by the elbow and smacked a smile onto her face.

"Sure thing! I'm assuming Mr. Sesshou gave you a list of the software programs you'll need to put on it. Let's just step back to the computer room and I'll get you started." As she directed Rin to the right door, Sango coyly looked over her shoulder at Miroku, who raised his eyebrows at her.

"Maybe if you're nice, we'll go to dinner this Friday. See you later, Mr. Houshi," Sango purred, closing the computer room door behind her. Miroku groaned in frustration.

"I don't think I'll ever understand that woman."

Inside the computer room, Sango made her way around the aisles of random computer parts and computer terminals to an aisle with about ten boxes stacked together in a row. Sango picked one up and brought it to the table in the front of the room where she carefully set the box down on the top.

"What exactly do you do, Sango? It looks very technical." Rin looked around the room at boxes of motherboards, CD-ROM drives, and other little gadgets she didn't know about. Sango laughed a bit as she cut the tape on the box.

"Well, we're very dependent on emails, the Internet, and networking in this building. I'm not exactly a personnel officer, but it's best if my office is with personnel to keep up efficiency. I make sure that viruses are taken care of and that people are able to use their computers. Things like that," she said, flipping the box lid open. Inside was a very sleek-looking laptop, and she quickly got it plugged in where it needed to be so that she could start installing the right programs. Rin watched for about five minutes in silence, fidgeting with her sleeve.

"That man that was talking to you—uhm...his name was Miroku, right?" Rin ventured, desperate to strike up a conversation with Sango since she seems to be such a nice person.

"Yes, Miroku Houshi, one of the CEOs of Durst and Sung," Sango recited. Rin gasped, shocked that the 'higher-up' Maru had been referring to was...such a lecherous guy. Sango nodded as if Rin had actually said something with her gasp.

"Ever since I arrived at D&S, it's like he has been in here at least four times a week. I'm actually disappointed if I don't see him every morning," Sango said, her voice getting a bit softer.

"How long have you been working here?" Rin asked. She looked down to see Sango's fingers flicking over the laptop's keyboard with surprising precision as the HardNull Office Suite loaded into the hard drive.

"It'll be eighteen months in a couple weeks." Rin's mouth dropped open.

"He's been down here four times a week or more for the past eighteen months? He must really like you!" Rin sighed, her face blushing at the romanticism the lecherous CEO was displaying. Sango's cheeks lit up as well, but she continued to work on the laptop, flipping open jewel cases and sliding in the CDs as they talked.

"Well, after about six months, I finally said yes to a date. We went to this really nice restaurant, and he flirted with me the whole time. It was very romantic. Of course, he tried to invite himself up to my apartment when he dropped me off later, but I just...I can't rush into something like that, you know?" Sango said, shrugging and looking to Rin, who was tense as she listened to Sango, nodding at everything Sango said.

"I know exactly what you mean! I have this funny feeling, though, that if the right guy came along, I would actually want to rush into things..." Rin giggled, which got Sango going. From behind her hand, she said,

"I guess Miroku isn't the right guy then, right?" Rin coughed, trying to catch her breath.

"Well, not for me, but maybe for you. I think he really likes you, and I only just met him." Rin nodded vigorously to show her emphasis, and Sango bit down lightly on her lower lip in thought.

"You really think so? I've been teasing him a lot lately, so it's no wonder that he thinks he can grab me whenever he wants to. Erm—though, it's not like I'm really mad when he does it. I just wish he'd be serious once in a while." Sango popped open the CD-ROM drive again, and withdrew the CD, snapping it into the jewel case and shutting the case with a click.

"Well, I've got all the stuff on here that you'll need. Remember to run the virus-checker once a week, and to de-fragment your hard drive once a month." Rin nodded, hopping from foot to foot as Sango closed the laptop and slid it into a very nice little carrying case with a padded strap. Rin draped the strap over her shoulder and turned to Sango.

"Thanks so much. This is the coolest!" Sango smiled at Rin's excitement, ushering her to the door. Rin looked up at the clock on the wall, and gasped when she saw what time it was.

"I've got five minutes to get back to Maru's office, but I wanted to ask you if you want to do something this Friday. I don't know anyone in New York, and it'd be nice to hang out with someone during my first Friday night in the Big Apple," Rin said. Sango smiled at the younger girl and nodded.

"Sounds fun! Just give me a call down here sometime so I can get your phone number. We'll have to go to a trendy nightclub in order to properly introduce you to New York's fun side." Winking at Rin, Sango tapped her wrist to remind Rin to get going, and Rin called back a good-bye before briskly walking to the elevators. A full minute passed before one finally arrived, and Rin stepped into the empty elevator, pushing the button for seventy-one. Sango's office had been on the fourteenth floor, so it was going to be a little while. At floor twenty-one, a young man of average height stepped on. He was good-looking, but compared to Maru, not as...sexy, Rin admitted to herself. _Oh great, now I'm comparing all the guys I see to him! This is going to be rough._

As the doors closed, Rin felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Chancing a glance at the young man, Rin found him staring at her, and blanched. She gave him a tiny smile and looked away quickly. _This guy really gives me the creeps._ He got off at floor forty-two, but not before "accidentally" brushing his hand against Rin's chest. Gasping, Rin glared at the young man, who didn't look back at the elevator doors. They shut and Rin shot herself a mean look in the reflection of the metal doors. _That jerk!_ Finally reaching floor seventy-one, Rin made her way back to the office and knocked on Maru's door, waiting for his permission before entering.

"Ah, Rin. I see you've got the laptop. I wonder if Sango is still trying to bat away Mr. Houshi or not. Did you see him there?" Maru said from his seat behind the desk. Rin, upon seeing his gorgeous face, suddenly felt more relaxed and smiled.

"She was slapping him when I got there." Hearing a tiny chuckle, Rin fairly beamed at him, considering how he appeared cold to his assistant versus how he acted towards her. Suddenly remembering the incident on the elevator, Rin's smile faltered a bit, and Maru's eyes seemed to change.

"What's wrong?" Rin shook her head, and then glanced at her watch. Telling him that she wanted to put the laptop in her office, Rin excused herself for a quick minute. Setting the case on her empty desk, Rin found the cord for the phone sitting on the corner and plugged it in. Walking back to her door, Rin pulled it open to see a pretty older woman speaking with Jaken. _Must be the appointment._ Smiling as the woman turned to look, Rin held out her hand for a handshake and said,

"Good morning! My name is Tsubaki Rin, Mr. Sesshou's new assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Okamaki." The woman smiled gently and returned the handshake warmly. Behind the desk, Jaken was grunting through the phone grumpily, informing Maru that the client was actually only a couple minutes late.

"It's nice to meet you, too. You look very young, I must say. How long have you been at Durst and Sung?" Rin laughed lightly at what she hoped was a compliment.

"This is my first day to be honest. I just graduated from Gale's graduate school about a month ago, so Mr. Sesshou has been kind enough to take me under his wing, so to speak." The lady nodded almost sagely, and Jaken quite coolly told Rin that they could go into the other office. Rin smiled, hoping the little guy would soften up a bit, and opened Maru's door for the client. Stepping in after her, she shut the door behind them, and heard Maru greet Mrs. Okamaki.

"Good morning, Mrs. Okamaki. How have you been lately?" He didn't sound at all cheerful, Rin noted. His responses almost sounded forced. He didn't sound like he was mad at Mrs. Okamaki, though...or that he even knew her that well. Mrs. Okamaki didn't seem fazed at all, as if she expected him to be aloof. Inwardly shrugging her shoulders, Rin sat on one of the couches against the wall as Mrs. Okamaki took a seat across from Maru. He nodded once at Rin and then began going over the liquidation papers Mrs. Okamaki was finalizing after her husband's death took the business along to the grave. Taking mental notes, Rin watched how fluidly Maru spoke and how he seemed to know _exactly_ what he was talking about.

Concentrating on the sound of his voice so that she could try to make hers sound just as calm, Rin noted with interest that it sounded almost aristocratic, as if he was a noble in a past lifetime (if such things existed). Mrs. Okamaki nodded once in a while, making a few comments here and there, but the meeting ended within half an hour after she signed a few final documents. Shaking hands with Maru, she stood up and draped her large purse over her shoulder, then turned towards the door. Rin popped up and held the door open for her, but Maru called the farewell,

"Please give me a call if you have any other concerns. If I'm not here, my cell phone number is on the back of the card I gave you." Saying her thanks and nodding, Mrs. Okamaki pretty much ignored Jaken, who sneered at her behind her back and she left the office with a flourish wave of the hand. Rin closed the door and turned back to Maru, who had come around the desk. Blushing at the way his shirt stretched across his muscles in just the right places, Rin tried to think of something constructive to say.

"That was very educational, Maru. You have a good business attitude. I wish I could get my voice as calm. I have the feeling that my midwestern accent would grate on some people's nerves." Rin smiled along with her words, her hands fidgeting behind her back. Maru moved his athletic body back around the desk, giving Rin a view of the long ponytail that ran halfway down his back over the Y-back suspenders.

"Your voice is fine, Rin. I happen to like it," he began as he seated himself and motioned to the chair that Mrs. Okamaki had just vacated. Rin blushed again as she made her way over to the chair. "I'll be going up to see Mr. Houshi in about fifteen minutes, and we'll stop by your office before leaving for lunch, so you've got some time to get things in order. Tell Jaken what office supplies you'll need." Rin nodded, her blush having receded. _Well, maybe I can date my boss. I'll just have to look for the right signals...New York does rock!_


	2. Chapter 2

_-Seventy-First Floor-_

Having set up her laptop on her desk and having dusting the room a bit, Rin contented herself with surfing the Internet for a while when she heard a hard knock on the door. Yipping, Rin hopped up and jogged over to the door, swinging it wide. There stood Maru and Miroku, looking first rate in their business suits. Rin gulped in admiration.

"We're on our way out. Grab your jacket," Maru said, softly smiling at her.

"Great! I'm so excited! My first meal at a New York restaurant," Rin said, running back to her chair. Maru couldn't help but ogle the way her chest bounced, and felt Miroku nudge him in the side.

"She's a good choice, Maru. I say go for it." Maru frowned at the CEO, as Rin rushed back, hurriedly buttoning her jacket. Closing the office door, Rin walked between the two businessmen as they strolled to the elevator. Rin visibly reacted when she saw the young man from earlier who had "accidentally" brushed her chest waiting near the elevator. She was sure to put Maru and Miroku between her and him as the elevator plummeted to the ground floor. Maru, uncertain as to why Rin was agitated, gave the other man in the elevator a pointed stare. _That guy...I've heard things about him from Sango, Ahun, and Yura. I think his name is Kouga. He better stay away from Rin or I'll—_... Snapping out of it, Maru and Miroku escorted Rin to the front of the building, past the security desk. Rin waved at Kohaku as she passed, and he blushed as he waved back. Maru clenched his fist, but was otherwise as cool-faced as ever.

Rin gasped upon seeing the limousine waiting for them at the curb. A short, old man quickly walked to the back door and held it open as Maru assisted Rin inside, then followed. Miroku came in last, and all three greeted the two people already inside.

"Uhm—hi. I don't think we've met," Rin began. She reached across to shake hands with the young man, whose long, black hair, like Maru's, was tied back in a ponytail. The young girl next to him, obviously his wife, smiled.

"My name is Inu Yasha. This is my wife, Kagome. I'm Maru's brother." Rin's eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open at this news.

"Oh! It's so nice to meet you! Maru is my new boss and was nice enough to let me tag along for lunch today," Rin happily said. Maru, aware that Rin's thigh was brushing against his, tried to hide the extremely subtle emotions that only Yasha seemed to be able to see. Yasha smiled broadly at Maru, who scowled back at him, and the group went into pleasant conversation for the ten minutes it took to drive to the Palm.

_-End of the Day-_

As Rin finished updating her email address book and Rolodex, she shut the laptop and sighed happily. It was almost five, meaning her first day of work finished successfully. Sure she had a few mishaps—catching the CEO groping one of his employees, getting groped in the elevator...wanting to grope her boss. _I feel like I've stepped into an adult world that I didn't know existed, even if I had been in college for six years._ The clock keeping time silently on the wall read 4:58, so Rin stood up to get ready to leave. As she hooked her purse over her arm after having stuffed the laptop's casing into her briefcase, the phone on the corner of her desk rang, and Rin grinned as she reached for the phone. _My first phone call!_ The smile quickly left her face, though.

"Hey—it's me. I just wanted to let you know that you've got great breasts, Rin." The line clicked and Rin stood there, stunned. Just then the doorknob twisted, and Maru appeared in the doorway as the door swung open. Looking at her face, his eyebrows drew themselves together.

"Rin, what's wrong? Who was on the phone?" Rin seemed to snap out of it and set the phone back on its receiver. Shaking her head, Rin smacked a smile onto her face and quickly strode to the man of her dreams..._even if he doesn't know he's my dream guy._

"I was spaced out, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow at eight sharp, right?" Rin said, hoping to get home as quickly as possible. Though her 'neighborhood' wasn't exactly safe, she didn't feel safe in the building at the moment, either. Maru told hold of her elbow gently, and pulled her back to look at him. Rin was thankful that Jaken had gone for the day, or else she might have been embarrassed to be in this sort of situation in front of him.

"Rin, please tell me what's wrong." Feeling awkward now, she shook her head, smiling as if she had no worries in the world. She almost completely trusted Maru, but..._I've only known the guy for one day! Not even twenty-four hours!_

"Absolutely nothing at all! I just started my new great job! My boss is nice, I got to eat at a five-star restaurant for lunch, and I met so many people. I'm fine, really!" Maru didn't look convinced, but he let go of her elbow.

"Well, I'd like to give you a ride home today, if that's alright. If anything, it'll save you the cab fare." Rin blushed at his offer, and Maru almost smiled, but he held his composure since anyone walking by the open office door could look in. _Time to be bold, Rin! Come on!_ Meeting his gaze directly, Rin gave him a good genuine smile, which got his heartbeat going a bit faster.

"Thanks, Maru. I'd like that." With that, they left the office, locking it behind them. Rin asked if it was a big inconvenience to go out of his way, but Maru assured her that it would make him feel better to take her home. In the parking garage across the street, he opened the door to his black Corolla and unlocked her door. Inside the car, she decided not to pull her skirt back to her knees even though it had worked its way up her thighs in the process of seating herself. _I can't believe I'm doing this._ As Maru turned to lock his seatbelt into place, his eyes couldn't help but notice her pale thighs, and almost missed when trying to insert the belt into its clip. Rin fastened her seatbelt as well, and blushed to herself. _Well, he noticed..._

Maru was having a hard time keeping his body from reacting to her. _It's only her legs! Why am I getting excited over her legs?_ Clearing his voice, he turned the ignition.

"Are you hungry? We can pick up dinner somewhere." Her good mood immediately deflated as she remembered her other plans. _Oh, no! I—I want to eat with Maru, but I can't just drop Kohaku!_ Racking her brain for something to say, Rin answered,

"I—uhm—I have other dinner plans tonight, or else I really would like to eat something now. Perhaps tomorrow night?" she ventured, not wanting to put him off at all. She tried to read his face, but it was too hard.

"Tomorrow is fine. If you don't mind me asking, what are your dinner plans?" Rin blanched. _You just had to ask! Now you'll think I'm off-limits!_ Not wanting to lie, she answered him honestly,

"I'm having pizza with Kohaku, one of the security guards." Rin saw his face change a bit, but was quick to add on, "Just as a friend, though. I'm not sure how..." Rin trailed off, uncertain as to how she should end her sentence. Maru turned his head to look at her as he waited for traffic to clear so he could pull out of the parking garage.

"Not sure how?" He ventured, hoping she'd finish her thought. _I didn't even get a chance..._ He maintained his mask of composure, not wanting her to see through it.

"Uhm—not sure how I feel about him. I don't know if I can think of him as anything more than just a friend." Wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, Rin went on, "Your brother and his wife were very nice people. It's great that you get to eat lunch with them once a week. How long have they been married?" _And why aren't you married?_ She hadn't noticed a wedding ring on his finger. He was obviously older than Yasha, but wasn't married yet. Maru took the topic change in stride.

"They've been married for about two years now. They told me last week that Kagome was pregnant with their first child." Rin gasped in happiness.

"Wow! You're going to be an uncle! That's so great! Kagome and Yasha must be overjoyed." Nodding, Maru finally turned into the street. Rush hour traffic in New York was, of course, enough to keep Maru from getting Rin home until six, but Rin enjoyed the conversation they had during forty minutes it took to get Rin to the run-down apartment building where she was staying. Maru pulled up next to the curb in front, and as Rin opened the car door to get out, she felt his hand on hers and looked back at Maru.

"Be careful, okay? It's probably a good thing that Kohaku is taking you to dinner since he has experience in that area," Maru conceded, quite grudgingly. Rin smiled at his concern and leaned back into the car to press a kiss to Maru's cheek. She tried to stay calm when she leaned away because the look on his face, though it revealed little, still held a bit of a blush.

"Thanks, Maru. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Rin then popped out of the car and shut the door, waving as she jogged to the first set of security doors in the apartment building. Though the buzzer to let someone in wasn't working, meaning anyone could walk in, no one except the building's tenants and their friends knew, so the building was relatively safe still. No one really wanted word to get out anyway. So Rin pretended to use her key on the first set of doors, and then walked up to the third floor, passing by Mushin, who was drunk again. Rin said in passing that he should take a bath and go to bed, but the old guy just rolled over and groaned.

Inside her apartment, Rin flicked on the lamp, which wasn't very bright since she had used low wattage bulbs in order to keep expenses down, but it was better than some harsh overhead light. She put the laptop away in the closet in case someone tried to rob her that night, and made sure the door and windows were locked before taking a few minutes to shower. She dried her hair and put on a dark blue, informal dress that didn't reveal too much. _I don't want to give him the wrong impression._ She then waited by the telephone so that she could get directions from Kohaku to the pizza place once seven o'clock rolled around.

At 7:30, Rin turned on her television, which got the next door neighbor pounding on the wall at her, so she turned it as far down as she could without having to press her ear to the speaker to hear the shows. The neighbor finally stopped and yelled a rude thank you. Rin sighed and kicked off her shoes. _I could have been eating with Maru...instead my crazy neighbor is being rude, I'm still hungry, and I just got stood up._ By eight-thirty, Rin had given up and called for take-out since she had no food in her refrigerator—seeing as how it wasn't working. _The super still hasn't come up to fix that thing!_ Making a mental note to talk to the guy in the morning before she left, Rin ate her take-out dinner and put on her pajamas. At eleven when she was about to turn out the light to go to sleep, the phone rang. _Oh, man...now he's probably going to make up some excuse about ditching me tonight._ Rin answered the phone quite tiredly, but the person on the other end was most definitely not Kohaku.

"Did I wake you, Rin?" Rin's heart thumped inside her chest and a smile appeared where her frown had been earlier. She sat down on her bed, which squeaked loudly.

"Well, I was about to go to bed, but no, I wasn't asleep yet." Rin twirled her finger around the phone cord and lied back on the bed.

"I see. I just wanted to make sure you got back all right." Maru's voice sounded just as calm as ever, but Rin knew he was probably a little bit embarrassed. She smiled to herself and responded almost happily,

"Well, I never went out. Kohaku must have forgotten how to dial a phone. I had some really good Japanese take-out, though. New York sure does know how to make miso soup." There was no response on the other end for a few seconds, and Rin barely heard a sigh.

"I'm sorry he stood you up, Rin. It's not exactly a good way to end your first Monday in New York." Rin's smile faltered a bit, but only because Maru was trying to show sympathy, even if it sounded as if he were giving a lecture on tax law instead.

"Hey, I'm a big girl. I'll be okay. Besides, I've already got someone to eat dinner with tomorrow night, right?" Maru could probably tell her voice didn't quite sound the same, but he didn't realize it was because Rin was happy rather than sad.

"Of course. We'll pick any place you like when I see you in the morning." Sitting up again, Rin responded,

"Thanks, Maru. I'll see you then. Goodnight." Maru bid her goodnight as well, and Rin placed the phone back on the hook. Then curling into her bed sheets, Rin hugged her other pillow to her chest, imagining it was someone's body rather than a lump of cotton, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

_-The Next Night-_

Tuesday at D&S went over just as "smoothly" as Monday. Rin didn't approach the security desk the next morning, but when she glanced over, Kohaku dropped his eyes away from her and wouldn't meet her gaze. Jaken was grumpy again, and Rin got the feeling that he was probably always grumpy. Maru was perfect, though. He made her feel more comfortable, and even got his real estate agent in touch with her that morning so she could see about that apartment in his building. They got some of the details worked out, and the realtor went off to speak to the old couple before finalizing any plans.

The day ended with Rin finally getting some real work to do to help out Maru with his clients, and five o'clock rolled around before Rin even knew it. As Maru and she walked to the parking garage across the street, Rin couldn't help but fidget some more with her purse strap. She was wearing a shorter gray skirt that day, with a matching jacket and a white blouse underneath. Maru had put on a black suit with a gray shirt and dark gray tie. As Rin fidgeted, she noticed how well she and Maru seemed to compliment each other that day—both wearing black, white, or gray; both with black hair. Blushing, Rin sat down in the passenger seat of Maru's car, once again not bothering to push her skirt back down, except this time it had worked much farther up her thighs.

Maru missed the seat buckle entirely, and had to try again to fasten his seatbelt. Rin stifled a giggle as she fastened her own seatbelt, and Maru drove them to a steakhouse named Dylan Prime. Rin was amazed that he had already reserved a table since Rin had forgotten to let him know where she wanted to eat. At the table, Rin sat down gingerly in the expensive-looking chairs and gripped her napkin in her hands.

"This place is really great! The smells in this restaurant are making me so hungry!" Rin said, grinning at the man across from her. He smiled back, his first real smile since she had first met him the day before. "So how long have you lived in New York?" Rin was attempting to keep the conversation light, but she wanted to flirt badly, even though she normally was definitely not a flirty kind of girl.

"I was born in New York. So I know the city pretty well. I went to NYU, too. I wasn't much for venturing far from home. I guess I wasn't that brave," Maru said, deliberately. Rin blushed at the indirect compliment. _I guess I could try a little tiny bit of flirting...it wouldn't hurt, right?_

"I feel better knowing I've got someone who knows where everything is. I don't think I even know how to get home from here," Rin laughed out. She twisted the napkin in her hands and was about to say something when the waiter appeared. He took their drink orders and gave them menus to browse. From behind her menu, Rin peeked over at Maru, who was looking back at her.

"I'd suggest the filet mignon. You can never go wrong with that one," he said. Rin nodded, and slowly closed the menu, setting it down in front of her.

"I've been meaning to ask you...why aren't you married yet?" Rin bit down on her lip gently in anxiety, knowing the question was very forward. Maru folded his menu as well and reached across to steady the hand currently attempting to rip the napkin in two. Blushing hotly, Rin hesitantly met his eyes.

"I just haven't found the right girl yet. I mean," he paused, trying to find the right words, "I have had girlfriends, but none of them have been able to make me smile, you know?" _Well, if that wasn't a flashing red neon sign with the words 'he likes you' on it, then I must be going crazy._ She let a shy smile rise to her face, and Maru smiled in return.

The rest of the dinner was a wonderful surreal dream for Rin. Their conversation was easy, interesting, and comfortable. The steak was probably the best she had ever eaten, and being on what felt like a date with the most handsome man she had ever met in her life was more than enough to get Rin in a very good mood. All in all, her second workday in New York was ending very nicely. New York rocks!

Although Rin tried her hardest, Maru wouldn't let her pay for her dinner. Driving away from Manhattan, Rin tried to come up with a good excuse to kiss him. There really was none—she had only known him two days, he was her boss for crying out loud, and even though he had not-so-subtly hinted that he liked her as well, it might not be a good idea to rush into a relationship. Suddenly remembering what she had said to Sango on Monday, Rin realized that if she did want to rush into things with Maru, perhaps it was because he was the right guy for her.

Rin had gone out with a couple boys in college, and dated another near the end of her third year for a few months, but after giving him her virginity, she found out a few days later that he had been cheating on her for a good month. That had really hurt, but Rin knew not to let it get her down. Those kinds of things just happened. _How long will I be telling myself that?_ As Maru rounded the corner to drive the last block to her apartment complex, Rin's heart was about to choke her. _I'll do it. I should do it now so that I know. He'll be flattered, if anything. That's fine, isn't it?_

As Maru came to a stop, Rin didn't say anything for a few seconds, then unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to him. Her face was flushed and she looked like she was nervous. _Rin...are you really...?_

Rin moved slowly in case he wanted to stop her, placing her left hand on the armrest between them and her right hand on his left shoulder. With her left knee on the seat, Rin brought her mouth close and brushed her lips against his as she closed her eyes. His lips felt soft underneath hers, and Rin opened her mouth to let her tongue slip out.

Maru was afraid to even move. He had never wanted anything so badly than to kiss his beautiful new assistant. When he felt her lips touch his, he clenched his hands to keep from roughly grabbing her and pulling her to his side of the car. His efforts were all for naught, though, when she slid her tongue between his lips. Opening his mouth and meeting her halfway, Maru wrapped his arms around her and turned her body so that she sat across his lap. Cradling her head in his left hand, he all but raped her mouth. Rin moaned into his kiss and clutched at the material over his shoulders, pulling herself as close to him as she could. Rin could feel Maru's arousal underneath her right thigh when suddenly she heard a hard knock on the window. Pulling away from Rin, Maru rolled down his window to see a cop looking displeased.

"Don't care if you're goin' slummin' or somethin', but you need to take that inside, mister," he drawled out, his heavy New Jersey accent coming through. Maru apologized to the police officer as Rin made her way back to the passenger side of the car. The cop walked off, and Maru rolled up the window. Looking over at Rin, he was almost proud to see that her lips were red and swollen. _So very kissable..._

"Did you want to stop for tonight?" he asked, not taking his gaze away from her. Rin's face gave away her answer, but Maru wasn't completely disappointed.

"We might want to slow it down just a bit. Thank you for dinner, though...and the kiss," Rin added, a blush tinting her cheekbones. Maru reached over to cup her jaw in his hand, and leaned forward, landing a short, sweet kiss on her swollen lips. Pulling back, he said,

"I'll see you tomorrow morning then." Rin nodded, gathering up her purse and briefcase and stepping out of the car. Shutting the door, she waved and walked into the apartment building.

_-Friday-_

It was the end of her first week at D&S. Rin had proven herself competent to Maru by finishing all the extra work on time and doing it pretty much flawlessly. Whenever she would walk into his office to drop off the random stack of papers, Maru would catch her by the wrist or elbow, and give her quick, hot kisses that left Rin breathless. So it was no surprise that she would find any excuse to stop by throughout the week.

Every night, Maru would take her to a new restaurant. She was able to pay for the bill only once because it came while Maru was in the restroom. When he got back and saw Rin putting the receipt in her purse, he obviously wanted to complain, but didn't when Rin squinted her eyes at him. Instead he sort of smirked, and Rin had declared that he was too chivalrous sometimes.

However, today was Friday, and she had plans with Sango. Unfortunately, Miroku was in the personnel office when Rin came by to discuss plans with Sango, so he invited himself along. Rin thought nothing of it since Sango and he had to work things out anyway, but Sango fumed at Miroku for a good five minutes before noticing that Rin had left. Now that it was close to five, Rin began to shut down her computer and file away her work for Monday when Maru swung open her office door.

"So you're headed out tonight with Sango? Do you know where you're going yet?" Maru had his jacket and briefcase, ready to leave. As Rin shrugged into her jacket, she smiled at him.

"You want to go, too, don't you?" Maru tried to shrug it off and claim that he didn't, but Rin knew better. The guy needed to get out more, so what better way to do so than with the girl he'd been making out with for the past four days? "I'd like you to come since Mr. Houshi is coming along, too. I'll feel less like a fifth wheel that way." Maru didn't exactly jump at the chance, but made it like he had no other plans and wanted to make sure the CEO didn't grope her.

Rin parted ways with Maru at the street, taking a taxi home. He said he'd pick her up at nine o'clock right before shutting the back door of the cab. On the way home, Rin planned out exactly the right thing to wear to get Maru panting after her like a dog. She didn't have much to choose from since she really didn't like buying clothes, but something from her college days of bar hopping would do the trick.

Nearly popping out of the cab like toast from a toaster, Rin threw a twenty at the cab driver and raced up to her building's front door. Pretending to use her key, she ran up the stairs, past Mushin, who was sobering up on the floor. _He probably won't stay sober for long._ She unlocked her apartment door and bolted inside. Sure, she had hours, but Rin wanted to look absolutely perfect tonight.

She would only be living in her current apartment for another few days. The old couple down the hall from Maru decided to leave for Florida earlier than expected since someone was already available to take the apartment off their hands. She'd be moving in on Sunday, right down the hall from the man of her dreams._New York rocks!_

By the time nine o'clock rolled around, Rin was dressed to kill. She had on her dark blue, knee length dress, cut low enough in front to see an ample amount of cleavage, and missing enough in the back to show off Rin's skin quite well. With her hair loose and smelling great, Rin applied a minimal amount of make-up. The intercom next to her door crackled instead of buzzed, but Rin ran to the door with her purse and hit the button to let him know she was coming down.

Finally reaching the bottom floor, Rin was nearly floored when she saw Maru's outfit. He was dressed in a tight black, cotton shirt with the white buttons, three of which were open, and had his hands in the pockets of dark gray pants. She saw his eyes travel down her body as well, and shivered as if it had been his hands instead. He cleared his throat, knocking Rin out of her daze, and she gave him her biggest smile.

"You look very, very good." Rin blushed after realizing what she had blurted out, but Maru only diverted his gaze and shyly smiled, as if he didn't want her to know that he appreciated the compliment. He turned slightly and held his elbow out. Rin walked forward to him and looped her arm through his, strolling with him to the car waiting for them at the curb. Before closing her door after helping her in, Maru caught Rin's gaze and said,

"You look good, too."

At the club, Rin was latched onto Maru's arm when she spotted Sango waiting near the door of the club. She was arm's length away from a guilty-looking Miroku, whose face was a bit red from being slapped. Sango looked relieved when she saw Rin, and waved to her. Approaching the couple, Rin took in their sleek outfits, which matched quite uncannily. Sango was wearing a red dress that stopped at mid-thigh and was a bit tighter than Rin's but didn't show nearly as much on the top. What was uncanny was that Miroku was wearing a red shirt of the exact same shade of red. His black pants completed the outfit well.

"Wow, Rin...you look great. And I'm glad you brought Maru along, or else we'd have Miroku's hands to deal with the whole night," Sango growled, shooting a glare at Miroku.

"When I saw you in that red dress my hands just had a will of their own! It's completely not my fault!" Miroku exclaimed, shoving the offending hands into his pockets. Sango's glare died away somewhat, and she pulled on his elbow, tugging him along inside the club. Maru bought Rin a drink, and Miroku eventually found a table off in the corner of the club. Sitting around it, the four of them got to talk for a bit, though Sango and Miroku did most of the talking. Rin attentively listened with her elbows on the table, enjoying their banter and the hand rubbing circles in her lower back. One of her favorite songs came bumping through the loud speakers, and Rin jumped up, wanting to dance quite badly. Sango, grateful for the change in topic since Miroku was trying to talk about her dress again, followed Rin to the dance floor. Maru followed along, which left Miroku to guard the drinks and purses.

Among the throng of bodies squeezed together on the dance floor, Sango was quickly pulled into a dance with another guy, who thankfully didn't place his hands anywhere uncomfortable. Rin wanted to see Miroku's reaction, though, and turned back to look at him. He didn't seem upset at all, but then Rin saw his fists clenched tightly. _That's somehow so sweet._ Turning to Maru, who was gently smiling at her, Rin began to dance with the song to steps she had made up when she was in high school. The song was Michael Jackson's "Beat It," a classic that all the twenty-something's in the room knew by heart.

Rin was surprised at how well Maru danced. He wasn't over the top, but he didn't just stand there and rock from side to side. She was so happy right at this moment, and it must have showed in her smile because Maru smiled back at her. As the song neared its end, another slower one came on, and Rin gingerly wrapped her arms around Maru's waist, pulling herself close as his hands settled against her back. She leaned her head on his chest, not tall enough to lay her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, loving the feeling of swaying on the dance floor in the arms of the man of her dreams.

Maru was more than content. He was actually out in the clubs on a Friday night, dancing with a beautiful woman, whose hair smelled absolutely intoxicating, and her company was becoming more and more soothing. He smoothed his hand up her back, most of it exposed, and couldn't help noticing how soft her skin was. The song was starting to pick up as the DJ worked into a faster song, and Rin asked Maru if they could sit down again since Miroku might be lonely. They began to walk back to the table, but Sango was already there, talking to Miroku in a civil tone. Sitting down again, Rin listened as Sango said,

"Well...I don't like to slow dance with anyone I don't know. And it was a bit unfair to leave you here for too long, I guess." Sango looked a bit embarrassed as Miroku's amused gaze held onto hers. _Now this really is sweet._ Sango tried to change the subject, but then a waitress came and she didn't have to. They ordered more drinks, and Rin and Sango made a couple comments about some weird dance moves they had seen on the dance floor earlier, getting a chuckle out of the guys. Eventually, another song slowed down the pace, and Miroku jumped up, grabbing Sango's hand and dragging her to the dance floor. Rin stayed seated, wanting to talk to Maru alone for a bit.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" His hand was already on her lower back again, rubbing small circles. He took a sip of his drink, and answered,

"This is probably the most fun I've had in quite a while." Rin grinned at that, glad to bring some fun into his life. Placing a hand on his knee, Rin squeezed the flesh underneath, leaning in close to whisper,

"I hope we have lots of fun together." Maru brought his hand up to hold her face close to his and suckled on her lower lip as his thumb brushed her cheekbone. Rin sighed, bringing her mouth closer to tempt him to kiss her fully. He pulled back, though, and Rin gave a little whimper,

"That's cheating..." Looking over at the dance floor, Rin sighed and tapped Maru on the arm to get his attention. Miroku was holding Sango, his hands where they ought to be, and Sango was laying her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. _He really can be sweet to her sometimes._ Feeling Maru's hand rubbing circles on her back again, Rin squeezed Maru's knee again. As she looked at Sango and Miroku, a mischievous smile crept to her face, and she slid her hand further up his thigh. The hand on her back stopped, but Rin's hand kept going. Though it fell short of the actual goal, it was close enough, and Rin grinned as Maru pulled her back against his chest. Shivering when she heard him say that she was cheating now, Rin set her arms on top of his, practically purring in his embrace.

When the night was winding down, Rin was nearly yawning in the car on the way back to her apartment building. Her head felt a little sloshy, and the vibrations of the car were close to putting her to sleep. She was awake enough, though, when Maru dropped her off. She was attempting to bring herself out of the car when she found Maru in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and hauling her up to stand.

"Are you going to need help?" Maru said, his voice low and quiet. Rin slid her palms up his arms from his elbows to his shoulders, nodding. Helping her step to the side a bit, he shut the door with a kick and locked it with a little remote, then hooked his arm under her knees. Rin laid her head against his shoulder, breathing in the cologne he had sprayed on earlier that night.

"Mmm...you smell good," Rin mumbled, needing very badly to sleep off the alcohol she had imbibed. Maru walked up to the front door, and Rin managed to pull out her key, but someone left the building right when Maru was about to use it, so they just stepped inside. Having unconsciously memorized her address, Maru knew her apartment number and climbed up to the third floor. At the end of the hall was her apartment door. Setting Rin on her feet, he kept his arms around her waist to keep her standing while she found her key and turned it in the deadbolt. He pushed open the door, remembering to pull the keys out of the lock since Rin appeared to have forgotten.

"I think I'll...be okay now. Thanks, Maru," Rin mumbled out again. Maru wasn't about to believe her and helped her into her bedroom, which was very sparingly furnished. It was clean, though, surprising for an apartment in this sort of neighborhood. Maru sat her on the bed, and took her purse away from her, setting it on the floor next to her nightstand. He pulled off her shoes and took two pins out of her hair.

"Just lie down and sleep...tomorrow's Saturday anyway. I'll call you to make sure you're okay," Maru whispered, starting to stand up. Rin clutched at his arms, though, and said,

"B-before you go..." Placing his arms around her waist, Rin opened her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him between them. She went straight for his mouth, thrusting her tongue inside. Locking her ankles behind him, Rin felt Maru fisting his hands in the bedspread behind her as she kissed him. He pressed himself close to her, answering the kiss as he brought one hand back to slide up her thigh. She squeezed her thighs against his sides, and he could feel himself reacting rather quickly to her, which brought him out of his daze pretty fast. He pulled back, holding her face in his hands, seeing her swollen lips in the semi-darkness of the room.

"You're not sober, Rin. We shouldn't do this if you're not sober. I want all of you or none at all." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, dropping her head a bit.

"You're right. Th-thanks for a good night, though." Her hands were still holding onto his shoulders, but she unlocked her ankles and set her feet on the floor.

"I'll call later in the day in case you want to sleep in...and you probably will." Standing up, he let her hands fall away from his shoulders, and she fell back on the bed.

"Sleeping sounds good right about now," she muttered. He swallowed, looking down at her. The skirt of her dress had ridden up her thighs quite a bit, and her knees were still set apart. Leaning down, he managed to get her to lie on the bed properly, and pulled a folded blanket from the bottom of the bed over her legs. He smoothed the hair away from her cheek, placing a small kiss on its soft curve, before leaning up and turning away from the bed.

"Maru?" she sighed, still awake in her bed. He turned back, looking at her.

"What is it?" he quietly asked, trying to keep his voice low.

"When I'm...sober and we...get in this situation again...wear that shirt." Looking down at the cotton black shirt he wore, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"So that...I can take it off of you..."


	3. Chapter 3

_-Sunday-_

Rin, having packed her belongings all day Saturday, that is, after her hangover's headache went away, was helping the two movers carry down the few boxes she had packed. She didn't really have that much stuff, and even then, half of it was still packed away in boxes, having never been unpacked in the first place. Having no car, Rin sat between the two movers, both old black men who seemed to be constantly arguing about the Yankees, as they drove into Manhattan. Pulling in front of a very ritzy apartment complex, Rin almost forgot to close her mouth as she climbed down from the front seat of the moving truck. Balconies, painted walls with no chipping, glass sliding doors with no condensation from inadequate insulation, and a front lobby that heralded a doorman and security guards.

"Wow..." Rin gasped, glad to be living in such a nice place. The bellhop came over, asking if she was moving in that day. _As if it weren't obvious_, she thought. He escorted her to the lobby's security desk, where she got her keys and a little cart to put boxes on. The movers, still arguing about the Yankees, quickly and efficiently moved the first load into the elevator, and all three of them squeezing in with the cart.

At floor twenty-two, Rin glanced up and down the hallway, looking at a couple doors to decipher which way her room was. Turning right, she walked to the end of the hall, room 2299. Turning the key, Rin pushed open the door, which noiselessly swung open a lot more easily than the front door of her previous apartment. The inside was absolutely wonderful. It had a huge kitchen with tons of counter space, including a year-old refrigerator and a brand new stove/oven. The bedroom still had a dresser in it, but Rin didn't expect it to be in such a good shape as it was. The bathroom only had a standing shower stall, but it was still larger than her old bathroom by fifteen square feet. There were ceiling fans, a thick, dark blue carpet, and of course, the balcony. Rin slid the door of the balcony open, listening to the movers' arguments as they set her boxes in the middle of the living room.

Since it was a nice day, Rin left the door open, and turned to follow the movers out once they were ready to go back down for another trip.

"No, it's okay, ma'am, we can bring up the rest. Go ahead and look around," one of the movers said.

"Oh, okay...thanks. I'll leave the door open then." Rin watched them leave, then turned to open the box she had labeled 'kitchen.' Picking up the box, she waddled into the kitchen, heaving the box onto the counter. Seeing an overhead rack over a counter island in the middle of the kitchen, Rin nearly squealed. It was stupid, but she had always loved the overhead racks. Her mom would always make a racket in the morning trying to find pans in drawer and cabinets, so when Rin was about fifteen, her father had bought an overhead rack for her mother to use. It was a useless memory, but Rin always thought to herself that someday, she'd have an overhead rack, too. Finding her flat pan, Rin reached up and hooked it on one side. After hanging the sixth item, Rin heard someone step inside and thought it was the movers back already, but Maru stood there, looking delicious in his light blue button-down shirt and black slacks.

"Good afternoon, Rin." Maru stepped into the kitchen, and placed his hands on the countertop behind Rin, trapping her between his arms. Rin couldn't help but smile when she first saw him, and reached up to pull his head down to her. Whispering against his lips, Rin closed her eyes,

"Kiss me, Maru." The kiss was slow and soft, which made Rin's toes curl inside her sneakers. Opening her jaw wider, Rin slid her tongue into his mouth, coaxing him to deepen the kiss. It worked all too well, and Rin felt like he was close to bruising her lips due to the force he was using. Hearing something about the "damn Yankees" from down the hall through the open apartment door, Rin turned her face to the side, taking in deep breaths. "The...the movers are coming back."

Maru dropped another quick kiss to her cheek before turning around and greeting the moving men, who asked him if the Yankees were any good. He picked up one of the boxes on the cart and answered that he didn't exactly follow baseball. The movers then continued to argue with each other, moving the boxes to the living room. Taking a break from the fight again, the same mover stepped into the kitchen, where Rin was placing her silverware into a drawer, and told her that three more trips for the bigger furniture would be all. Rin nodded, and stood there, waiting for their voices to die away as they headed back downstairs. Then jogging into the living room, where Maru stood looking at the scribbles on the boxes, Rin threw herself into his arms, drawing his mouth down for another kiss.

He hitched her up further in his arms, pulling her off the floor with her feet dangling as he pillaged her mouth. Rin then braced her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, squeezing her thighs with every slant of his mouth. Walking them into the kitchen again, Maru found some clear counter space and set Rin on top. For perhaps only four minutes, he stood there, searching every surface in Rin's mouth and rocking his pelvis into hers. Rin most definitely needed to finish what they had started, but the voices of the movers, whose argument had somehow turned to Muhammad Ali, were returning from down the hall. They sounded a bit out of breath, and Rin shimmied from the counter, running her fingers across her mouth before looking down the hallway. They were holding either end of Rin's new couch that she had bought before coming to New York. Rin held the door open, and they managed to squeeze it through the doorway. Rin told them against which wall to set it, and then they headed back out, saying something about which of them could beat the crap out of Tyson.

Going back into the kitchen, Rin decided to see if the refrigerator needed cleaning rather than kissing Maru again, which she was sure would get her into trouble since she still had movers to worry about. Opening the door of the fridge, Rin was surprised to see it had just been cleaned, and a pitcher of what looked like lemonade was inside. Rin grabbed the note taped to the front of the pitcher, and opened it, reading aloud,

"To the next resident: Enjoy your new home, and the best of luck to you. Have some lemonade. Sincerely, the Nobunagas." Rin smiled at the note, and turned to see Maru leaning against the counter, looking strained. She realized he was probably trying to calm himself down, and tried to strike up a conversation to distract him.

"I must have sounded like an old hag yesterday when you called. That gin and tonic didn't do nice things to my throat, but water helped, like you said," Rin began, setting the note on the countertop. It had been perhaps one in the afternoon yesterday when Rin finally rolled out of bed and took a shower, slowly coming awake. She had blushed at the memory of what she and Maru had almost done on her bed, but then the headache had come. Around three, Maru had called and Rin croaked into the phone, which got Maru chuckling on the other end of the line. They talked for only ten minutes, and Rin had apologized for being forward the night before, but Maru had told her it was no problem, and that he hoped she was always that forward, which got another blush out of Rin, though Maru couldn't have seen it.

"I'm glad it helped," he finally said, breathing easier. Rin walked over to him, taking his hand and squeezing it. He didn't smile at her, but his eyes softened, so Rin smiled up at him, happy to make him happy.

"Since I don't have any groceries, how about I treat you to some dinner tonight? We'll go to that steakhouse where we ate last Tuesday." Maru seemed to contemplate it for a bit, but Rin knew he was probably going to tell her that he was going to pay. "I'm paying no matter what you say...but promise me you'll wear that black shirt, okay?" Rin saw Maru look at her in surprise, knowing what the black shirt meant, and Rin flashed him a quick smile before running back into the hallway. The two movers, whom Rin dubbed Bert and Ernie, were bringing in the little cart, which had the frame, mattresses, and headboard of her bed all lined up perfectly on top. They even offered to put the frame together for her, motioning to the tool belts they wore. Inside her bedroom, Rin and Maru held the pieces together while Bert and Ernie worked, discussing the play by play of an imaginary fight between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.

After laying the box-spring mattress and top mattress into the frame, the movers had one more trip downstairs, and left Maru and Rin alone again. Rin went back to the box in the kitchen, and pulled out wooden spoons, spatulas, and skewers, laying them all in the sink. She suddenly felt Maru's body behind her, and his arms slid underneath hers. His hands found the hem of her shirt and slipped underneath, smoothing up her torso.

"Is the clasp in front or in back?" he whispered in her ear, which got a chill screaming down her spine. Rin managed to say the word front, and felt his fingers push the bra's front in the right way, unhooking its clasps. He spread the bra to the side and cupped his hands around her breasts, thumbing the nipples and massaging the flesh underneath his palms. Rin let out a shaky breath, leaned back against him, and bent her neck to the side as he leaned down to kiss the dip in her neck. His hands moved like magic underneath her shirt, rubbing and molding her breasts in his rough palms. Sighing his name, Rin reached back and found the loops in his slacks. By putting her arms back, her chest was thrust out, and Maru found her nipples once again, gently squeezing them between his index finger and thumbs. Rin pulled on the loops in Maru's pants, bringing his pelvis against her backside.

The movers from down the hallway outside the apartment were adamantly arguing both sides of the greatness of James Brown. Rin groaned, and Maru deftly refastened her bra, pressing a kiss to her cheek before backing off.

"I'll be here to pick you up at seven-thirty." With that, Maru turned and walked out of the apartment, earning a dissatisfied pout from Rin. She whispered to herself that he was cheating... The movers came in with the cart again, which held her TV, stereo, and another big box labeled 'electronics.' They piled the contents onto the heap of boxes into the living room. Rin tipped them, thanked them, and finally sent them on their way. Closing the door behind them, Rin found her box of clothes, and ran to the bathroom to shower and change since it was already six o'clock.

At seven-thirty, Rin was in a dark red, knee-length dress, and had wrapped a black shawl around her shoulders. With her hair back, but loose, Rin was just coming out of her bedroom when she heard her doorbell. Jogging to the door, Rin swung it open, and found Maru in his black shirt, looking like he had just washed it. His dark gray jacket and slacks matched perfectly, and Rin turned around in a circle for him, showing off her only other good dress.

"You look good in that dress," Maru conceded, although he wanted to tell her something along the lines of how short a time she would be wearing it. Back at Dylan Prime, Rin had decided to try their lobster (ordering the smallest portion on the menu), and Maru had ordered a steak. Not surprisingly, Rin only had water rather than wine.

"Are you still of the mindset that you're paying for the dinner?" Maru asked, having finished his steak, and starting to work on his salad. Rin forked a sliver of lobster into her mouth, squinting her eyes at Maru, who couldn't help but smirk.

"But of course," Rin said, swallowing. "It's my turn to pay." Rin, thinking of what they'd probably be doing within an hour or two, was feeling playful. She was grateful that the tables were draped with a white cloth that reached to about a foot above the floor, and nonchalantly slid one foot out its shoe. Finding his ankle with her toes, Rin looked at Maru's face as she slid the side of her foot up his instep. He suddenly stopped chewing, and his eyebrows moved towards each other just a little bit. "And if you want me to stop by your apartment tonight instead of just going to mine...you'll let me."

Clearing his throat and swallowing his salad, Maru watched as Rin finished her lobster, then called the waiter over to bring the bill. Rin giggled behind her napkin and took her foot away, sliding it back into the shoe. After Rin got her receipt back and left a tip, Maru escorted her to the exit. The closer they came to the apartment building, the more aroused Rin became. Stealing glances at Maru, she noticed that he was getting excited, too. As Maru pulled into the garage beneath his apartment building, Rin gathered up her shawl and purse, and unbuckled her seatbelt. Walking to the elevators, one that had been sitting on the ground floor immediately opened upon being called, and Maru pulled Rin into it, hitting the button for floor twenty-two. As the doors shut, he pinned Rin against the wall, and Rin dropped her purse to the floor.

Grabbing the backs of her thighs and lifting her, Maru wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed his chest into hers to brace her back against the elevator wall. Rin eagerly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held his waist tightly with her thighs. Their mouths met, and Rin lost control of all thought. The sensations of Maru rocking his pelvis against her, and his mouth pillaging hers, increased her heartbeat so fast that the blood flowing through her veins threatened to make her swoon. The elevator stopped, but they weren't at floor twenty-two. As the doors opened, Rin and Maru looked to see an old white man with a cane standing there, and his mouth dropped open. He recovered quickly, though, and smiled as he said,

"I'll get the next one." Maru nodded, and hit the button to close the doors. Once the elevator was on its way again, he turned his head back to Rin. He pushed aside the collar of her blouse with his mouth and began to leave little bruises along her collarbone, pushing himself against her in a slow cadence the whole time. She groaned, her body fully reacting to him. The elevator finally arrived at the twenty-second floor, and Maru gently set Rin on her feet. Picking up her purse, Rin followed Maru down the hall only about a dozen meters or so. He unlocked the door, and Rin could hear his heavy breathing. Holding the door open for Rin, Maru watched her hips as she walked into the apartment then shut the door behind them. Flipping on the hall light, Rin only got a cursory glance of the hallway where she stood before Maru took hold of her elbow and began to pull her through a couple dark areas of the apartment.

"You can put your things down on the couch." Rin couldn't see a thing, but trusted that the couch was there and set her purse and shawl down. Thankfully, something was there to keep them from hitting the floor. Rin stepped out of her high heels, and was immediately engulfed in a hug. She felt herself being picked up and taken into what could only be his bedroom. Her feet met the carpet, and she heard Maru pulling his jacket off. Desperate to be with him, Rin reached forward and found his chest, then the buttons of his black shirt.

"I've never wanted something so badly in my life," Rin panted out. Reaching the bottom buttons, Rin jerked the shirt out of his pants and finally released the last button, pushing the shirt off of his shoulders. While she had been working on the shirt, Maru had pulled his belt off and unzipped his slacks.

Rin reached behind her and found the top of the zipper in the back of her dress. She tugged it down, and then reached underneath her skirt to pull her hose off. Kicking the hose to the side, Rin pulled her arms out of the straps of her dress, and pushed the rest to slink down to her ankles. Her vision got used to the dimness of the room as she stripped and she could see a dresser behind Maru, who was down to his socks and boxers.

He reached down to pull his socks off as Rin reached unhook the front of her bra. Letting it fall to the floor, she finally slipped her underwear off, and brought her torso back up just as Maru let his boxers fall to the floor. Gasping in surprise to see how different his member was compared to the last and only time she had seen one, Rin looked up to see Maru's eyes reflecting the shallow light of the room. He turned away from her and opened a drawer in the dresser behind him, pulling out a small box. Blushing when she realized what the box was, Rin looked behind her to see a bed, the covers neatly arranged from when he made it that morning.

She sat down on the side as Maru rolled a condom onto himself, and scooted to the center of the bed, lying back. He stood at the side of the bed, looking down at her as she put the bottoms of her feet onto the bedspread. She spread her legs apart, holding her hands up to draw him to her, and Maru groaned as his knee met the bed. Bringing himself between her thighs, Maru braced his weight on his forearms and let his chest lightly touch hers. Rin sighed at the skin contact, whispering,

"Kiss me...please." Maru readily complied, slanting his mouth against hers as one hand roamed down to fondle her breasts. Sighing into his mouth, Rin brought her legs up and hooked her ankles around Maru's waist. Finding the back of his head with her hands, Rin pulled the elastic band from his hair, and it spilled over the two of them. She laced her fingers through the strands, and put one of her hands over the one that was thumbing across her nipple. Pulling it down between their bodies, she guided his hand to the ache between her legs. Breaking the kiss, Maru found her eyes in the semi-darkness, and watched her reaction as his hand spread her open.

Working the tip inside, Maru pulled his hand away and balanced his weight again over her. Pushing in, he was surprised that she was still..._she's still tight. Almost too tight._ Rin let out a shuddering groan, fisting her hand in his hair.

"Push harder, Maru...I want you inside me," Rin sighed, moving her hands to grip his biceps. Maru almost climaxed right then, but bit down on his lower lip and shoved his hips into hers, earning a loud moan from Rin, who squeezed his arms and closed her eyes. She sighed his name, and Maru buried his face in the crook of her neck as he pulled back and pushed in. The friction was too much, and he tried to think of anything other than what he was doing right now. The carnal sounds coming from Rin were reaching his ears, and Maru was down to the last bit of control he had.

Rin whispered for him to go faster, and Maru choked on the pleasurable vibrations rolling up his spine. Quickening his tempo, Maru was vaguely aware of the bed making sounds of protest. Bruising the flesh underneath his mouth, Maru finally ran out of control, and gripped the blanket under his hands in tight fists as his knees found better purchase on the mattress. He rocked into her body with enough force to wring soft cries from the woman beneath him, who was softly encouraging him.

"Maru...oh God, _harder_," Rin desperately whispered. Maru groaned into her neck, trying desperately to bring her with him. The bed was unavoidably protesting now as Maru pumped into her hard and fast. Maru, at the end of his rope, reached down between their bodies and rubbed the sensitive spot above Rin's entrance as gently as he could, which made Rin cry out.

He at long last felt her climaxing around his arousal and buried himself inside her as he orgasmed, his body stiff and strained. He then groaned against Rin's neck, his limbs tired and unable to support his weight anymore. Wrapped in the arms, and legs, of his lover, Maru nuzzled the spot beneath Rin's ear and felt her hand rubbing small circles in his back while her other hand twirled his hair around her fingertips. _Did that just happen? It did...I made love to the most beautiful, wonderful woman I've ever met in my life._ Maru almost wished he could get closer to her, and tightened his arms around her shoulders.

Rin was still feeling little tiny throbs, the liquid from her climax having lubricated her inner walls around Maru. _I hadn't expected something so...something so long, hot, and thick. It felt good...and he's actually glad to be pressed to my body._ Finally able to move again, Maru lifted his head and dropped a single gentle kiss onto Rin's mouth before withdrawing and standing up. Rin's hand trailed down his arm as he left her and she closed her legs, rolling onto her side as Maru walked to the bathroom. Disposing of the condom, he washed his hands and returned to the bed where he found Rin with her eyes closed, curled up with one of his pillows underneath the sheets. She turned her head and looked up at him, making room on the bed for him. He lied down next to her, draping the sheets over his hips before pulling her into his arms.

"That was really good, Maru," Rin whispered to his chest. Maru smiled in the dark and rubbed his hand up and down Rin's spine. She snuggled closer to him, and Maru felt his body, still humming from the incredible sex, finally relax next to her. He laid his cheek against the top of her head, the scent of her hair drifting up to his nose, and closed his eyes.

Rin felt unbelievably good. Her memories of making love had been pain, blood, and someone whom she thought she loved grunting over her, not touching any part of her body except where it mattered, and not looking at her. Maru had been as close to her as possible, and had looked straight into her eyes when putting himself into her body. Rin could feel how he was trying to keep control over himself the entire time. When the dam broke..._dear God, the way he makes love is akin to the way Beethoven writes a symphony...he played me like a violin._ That he was letting her stay in his bed for the night and holding her...most guys didn't do that if they didn't have to...though it was probably only ten o'clock, Rin had become exhausted and fell asleep against him.


	4. Chapter 4

_-The Next Morning-_

Rin jerked awake when she heard an alarm clock go off. Looking to the source of the sound, she saw Maru's arm reach to hit the snooze button. _Seven a.m...what a beautiful morning._ Rin looked up at Maru's face to see his eyes upon her. Crawling up his body a few inches, Rin gave him an open-mouthed kiss and felt his arms tighten around her. He broke off the kiss, though, which got Rin pouting at him. An amused grin lit up his handsome features, and his chest rumbled as he said,

"We only have an hour to get ready and be at the office by eight. I do want to kiss you, Rin," Maru said, his voice getting rough. "Believe me, I do, but we have appointments to meet." Rin's pout only got worse, but she rolled over to get out of his bed. Taking stock of the room she hadn't been able to see the night before, Rin admired Maru's taste. Nothing stood out as tacky, and it was even cleaner than her place. Looking over her shoulder at Maru, whose mouth was ajar as he watched her walk around his bedroom naked, Rin smiled coyly and asked if she could take a shower. He only nodded dumbly, and Rin walked to the bathroom, scooping up the clothes she had left on the bedroom floor.

Maru's bathroom was just as clean as his bedroom, although Rin was not surprised to see the toilet seat up. Doing her business and stepping into the shower, she had just finished rinsing her hair, having used his shampoo, of course, when someone stepped into the shower behind her. Rin jerked in surprise, which gave Maru ample opportunity to push her back against the cold tiles of the shower stall. Holding her jaw in one hand, Maru pressed his mouth to her warm, wet lips as the showerhead sprayed hot water onto his left side, quickly soaking his long, black hair. His hand snaked down to the back of her knee, and he lifted her leg, supporting her with his other arm in case she wasn't ready for the shift in balance. Bringing his leg underneath hers as he lifted it, he propped his foot on the soap shelf built into the wall and hooked her knee over his thigh. Stopping the kiss by leaning his head away, Maru watched Rin's eyes as his hand touched the sensitive lips between her legs. A desperate look came over her face, and she arched into him once he found the small nub hidden beneath the smooth folds of her flesh.

She closed her eyes as he rubbed the little button, massaging and rolling it between his fingers. Maru was breathing heavily from trying to control his arousal, and it didn't help that he could see all the little bruises he had left on her shoulders the night before. The warm, wet woman in his arms was coming close to climax, so he cursed the fact that he hadn't made condoms readily available. Rin was in bliss, though. The man of her dreams was doing something so selfless, and in such a sensual way. Feeling her ability to hold herself up slipping away, Rin clutched at Maru's shoulders, moaning at the ceiling. Squeezing his longest finger into her body, Maru pushed it in and out in rhythm with the thumb currently working at the hard pearl underneath.

"Unnhhh...Maru," Rin sighed, bucking her hips against his hand. She was making the most carnal sounds, her cheeks were flushed, and she was driving Maru insane. Rin suddenly became heavier in Maru's arms, and she choked out his name. Feeling better despite the fact that he was very much in need, Maru turned off the shower and lifted Rin into his arms, carrying her out of the shower stall and sitting her down in a padded wicker chair on the right side of the sink. He steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. She swayed a bit, but her eyes opened and came into focus on his face. He smiled at her, and said,

"Feeling okay now?" Rin nodded, and Maru leaned back up to take his own shower while she dressed. It was obvious that his body was still excited, and therefore, unsatisfied, and without thinking, Rin reached forward to grab his hips before he could move away from her. Pulling him to stand between her knees, Rin gently wrapped her fingers around his hard length and looked up to his face, finding it tense. Taking her eyes away from his intense gaze and guiding him to her mouth, Rin laved her tongue over the tip, and heard strangled sounds above her head.

Maru had to reach forward and clutch onto the towel rack behind her as she moved her head over his arousal, and his wet hair fell forward to drip water onto Rin's shoulders. It was his turn to feel dizzy, and he couldn't help but pump slowly against her warm lips a few times before the pleasurable sting of orgasm began to filter up his manhood. Gasping and squeezing the towel rack as if it was keeping reality in place, Maru tried to encourage Rin's deft little hands and hot mouth. Since Maru was doing most of the thrusting by now, Rin just held her head still and set her hands on Maru's posterior, feeling the muscles underneath clench and release. His breath finally caught in his throat, and he spilled himself into her waiting mouth, letting out a strangled cry once his breath came back to him. Wadding up the tissue, Rin wiped her lips with her other hand and looked up at Maru, who was still clutching the towel rack with his eyes closed and mouth open.

"Feeling okay now?" Rin asked, mirroring his earlier statement. His eyes slowly opened, and he half-smiled down at her. Leaning back with a push, he turned to enter the shower stall, and Rin grabbed a towel to dry herself off. Hearing the shower turn on, she pulled on her clothes and tugged her fingers through her hair as best as she could. After gargling some water, she was patting her mouth dry when Maru stepped out of the shower, his body looking flushed and his long hair dripping water down the planes of his body. Rin gawked at his reflection in the mirror, and turned to see the real thing. Blushing, she handed him a towel and walked back into the bedroom before he could comment on the redness in her cheeks.

Making the bed and then sitting down for a few seconds' rest, Rin's eyes drifted to the box of condoms still sitting out from the night before. She looked up at the ceiling with a mischievous smile and stood up, slowly meandering to the dresser. Nonchalantly pulling three condoms out, she tucked them into her jacket pocket and then grabbed her purse, heading out the door to her apartment down the hallway. After a few minutes, Maru came out, naked as the day he was born, but with dry hair. He dressed himself in a dark gray suit with a lighter gray shirt and black shoes. He tied his hair back before walking to the kitchen and breaking open some eggs into a bowl.

Rin changed into her business clothes and dried her hair, quickly braiding it. Grabbing her purse and briefcase, which still held her laptop, Rin locked her apartment door and walked back down to Maru's, easing the door open. Smelling scrambled eggs, she set her bags against the wall near the door, softy shutting it. Finding his kitchen in pretty much the same place where hers was located, Rin leaned on the doorway as she watched him cook, softly smiling when she saw two plates off to the side. Rin sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, following his body movements as he spooned the eggs onto the plates. He couldn't see her since she was pressed against his back so Rin felt it safe to throw a compliment his way without feeling too embarrassed.

"You're very handsome, Maru...you know that, don't you? I first saw you in the lobby last Monday morning, and I couldn't help but ogle you for a few seconds." Rin suddenly blanched upon realizing that she had just slept with someone she had only known a week. She let go of him, stepping back. Last night, it had seemed right, but what if Maru thought she was the type of girl to fall into anyone's bed? _What if I really am that type of girl?_ Maru felt more than saw the change in her mood, and turned around to grab her shoulder as he brought her face up to his.

"I still respect you, Rin. Last night was probably the best night of my life, so please don't feel that way." Rin didn't ask how he knew—she could just be that transparent. All she did know what that Maru really was the man of her dreams. Rising up to her tiptoes, she pressed an affectionate kiss to his lips before giving him a saucy wink. _New York rocks!_

"We'd better hurry. Ready to eat?" Maru nodded, and shut off the stove. They ate standing up, sipping orange juice, and after depositing the plates in the sink, they finally left the apartment. As they waited near the elevators for one going down, Rin couldn't wipe the smile off of her face, which got Maru smirking.

"Was it really that good?" he asked, hoping to get a reaction out of her. Rin turned to Maru, a radiant grin lighting up her face.

"I was just thinking about the old man who saw us last night. He was being pretty nice about it, you know," Rin replied. Maru's face almost fell when he realized she wasn't smiling because of what they had done last night...and that morning, and he looked away, but he got his good mood back when Rin's hand brushed over his backside. Looking at her again, Rin was smiling shyly, and Maru smiled back.

_-At the Office-_

Right around eight o'clock, Rin and Maru arrived together at the New York branch of Durst and Sung, both looking young, healthy, and sharp in their business attire. Rin had changed into one of her favorite business ensembles: a white blouse with a tan skirt and jacket, and matching high heels. The two of them looked quite the pair. As Rin passed by the security desk on her way to the elevators, she chanced a glance in Kohaku's direction, but didn't see him there. _It must be his day off._ Sighing to herself, Rin knew she had to talk to him someday, but all the same, she was glad that today was not that day. At the back of the elevator on its way up, Rin and Maru talked quietly, discussing the appointments they had that day and where they wanted to eat dinner that night.

"Is there a good Japanese restaurant near here? It'll be my treat," Rin whispered, attempting to keep their conversation private despite the lack of space. Maru shook his head, answering in a low voice,

"I don't mind paying." Rin gave him a half-hearted glare, but he just continued. "We could go to Naniwa or Hatsuhana...they're both in Midtown." Taking a quick glance to make sure everyone was facing the doors, Rin slyly glided her fingers lightly over the front of Maru's pants. He stiffened, and Rin barely heard a hiss. His scarcely audible whisper sent shivers down her spine. "That's cheating..." Rin saw a movement and realized Maru was holding his briefcase in front of him now. Blushing a bright red, Rin restrained the grin that wanted to make itself known. The elevator doors opened, and they squeezed past a couple of people to emerge on the seventy-first floor. Walking into the outer office, they saw Jaken booting up his computer and talking to someone on the phone.

"Well, I don't care if he is. He doesn't have an appointment, and Mr. Sesshou only...well, if he'd like to make one then...what?" Jaken looked up at this point to see Maru, a single eyebrow raised in question. Putting his hand over the mouthpiece, Jaken explained, "Someone downstairs named Nara Ku wants to see you. He won't say why, he doesn't have an appointment, and he won't leave." Maru's other eyebrow went up, and Rin let the grin she had been hiding earlier show on her face as she walked past him to her office, unlocking it and walking inside. Leaving the door open, she heard Maru say,

"Do I have time to meet him this morning?" She heard Jaken leafing through some papers as she set down her briefcase. Pulling the laptop out, she plugged it into the network and power supply, and then turned it on. Walking back around her desk, she leaned against the doorjamb to listen.

"You have an appointment at ten about some problems with tax deferment, but nothing until then. Maru glanced back at Rin, and she saw a flicker of something in his eyes. _Now what?_ Turning back to Jaken, Maru said,

"Tell him I'll meet with him at nine o'clock. And to get an appointment next time." Jaken nodded and began relaying the information. Maru turned and motioned for Rin to follow him as he unlocked his office and opened the door. Closing the door behind them, Maru locked the door silently as Rin walked towards the chairs. He walked to the desk and began arranging some of the papers on top, having set his briefcase in one of the chairs facing the front of his desk.

"Did you need me to do something? I think I can get those income statements finalized by lunchtime, so it might have to wait until then, tho—" Rin was cut off as Maru finished his cleaning and turned to grab her upper arms. He wasn't rough, but he wasn't about to let go, either.

"It will not wait. I'm afraid it has to be now." Rin detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice, quickly catching on as to what he was planning. Maru pulled her over and placed her between himself and the desk. Pushing her skirt up a few inches, Maru backed Rin onto the desk, and she shimmied onto the edge, opening her knees so that he could stand between them. Fishing for something in her pocket, Rin pulled out one of the three condoms she had "borrowed" earlier, which got a chuckle out of Maru.

"You never cease to amaze me." He leaned down and held the side of her face in his hand, using the other to open her mouth. Pressing his lips to hers and sliding his tongue inside her mouth, Maru rubbed his tongue alongside hers, and Rin slipped her fingers underneath the collar of his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. Maru deepened the kiss, coaxing a groan out of Rin, who reached down to pull his belt out of its buckle. Maru settled hands on her knees, which were pressed tightly against his hips, and slid them up along her thighs underneath her tan skirt. She pulled his belt out of its loops and dropped it to the floor, quickly working open the button and zipper on his slacks, and Maru couldn't help but notice the feel of her knuckles pressed into his stomach.

His suspenders still held up his pants, but Rin finally had Maru's arousal out of his black boxers. Before she could do anything else, Maru broke the kiss and told her to lie back with a coarse voice. With his hands under her skirt, he found the waist of her panties and pulled them off her legs, quickly stepping back between her glossy thighs and pushing her skirt up a bit more. Rin brought her legs up and propped her feet against the side of the desk, the high heels serving well to keep her feet in place. Scooting herself closer to the edge of the desk, she slid her feet a bit further out. Maru rolled the condom on, breathing heavily, and Rin opened her blouse to let in some cool air.

As Maru looked at Rin, every muscle in his body tensed—her skin was flushed, her bra was showing beneath the glazed look in her eyes, and she was on top of _his_ desk—reaching down between her thighs, he slid his finger up the seam of her lips, gently opening her and pushing himself inside. Still as slick, hot, and confining as last night, Maru bit back a groan as he squeezed in to the hilt.

"Rin...you feel so good," Maru grumbled out, finding it hard to say anything at all. Rin felt like she was going to explode. Looking up at Maru, whose mouth was open and taking in long draughts of air, Rin admired the way his gaping shirt revealed the toned satiny skin on his chest, and how his suspenders still gripped his shoulders. He truly was a gorgeous man, and Rin thought it was wonderful that she was lying on his desk with him buried between her legs. Squirming a bit, Rin closed her eyes and clenched her jaw.

"Maru..._please._" Finally relenting, Maru pulled back and shoved in again, rhythmically pumping into her as he rolled his hips. Leaning down over her, he gripped the opposite edge of the desk, still thrusting into the woman on top. Rin began to thrust her pelvis back into his now that she had the proper leverage. Trying to keep her groans as quiet as possible, she slid one hand up Maru's chest, over his shoulder, and to the nape of his neck where she found the elastic band keeping his hair back. Pulling it gently through his gleaming black hair, the silken strands fell heavily onto her chest and shoulders.

"I...love your hair...I wish I could...bury myself in it," Rin panted as his thrusts came faster and harder. Maru's chest tightened at her words, and he leaned down to press kisses to the sides of her mouth. As the pleasure started to center itself inside his body, Maru kept his mouth close to Rin's, letting his lips brush hers with every thrust. Rin kept her hand on his shoulder while the other held the bicep near her head. He felt so good—he filled her well and made love as if he was seeking to give her pleasure over finding his own. As she brought her hips up again, she gasped harshly as the thuds of her inner muscles made her head and body swim. She didn't have much time to bring in any air, though, because Maru pressed an open-mouthed, wet kiss to her lips, groaning as he gave one final push before holding still over her. _Oh, God...Rin..._ Pulling away from Rin's swollen lips to breathe, Maru laid his head on Rin's chest and gulped in air as his heart began to slow down. Rin locked her ankles around Maru's waist and ran her fingers through his silky, thick hair, somehow catching her breath despite the man lying on her chest.

"Thanks," Maru mumbled, bringing his head up to nuzzle the skin between Rin's breasts. She squeezed his shoulders and answered a bit shakily,

"Same here." Maru finally leaned back a bit, sliding his hands under Rin's shoulders to help her sit up. She was about to drop her legs back down to the floor when Maru wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, walking them to the bathroom on the right side of the office. Rin held onto Maru's shoulders, squeezing her thighs against his sides to keep from falling. With each step, Rin could feel Maru hardening inside her again, and suckled the skin on the side of his neck. The bathroom held the basic amenities, even a shower stall, which Maru had never used before. The decorating was bad, but Maru was hardly ever in there so it didn't matter. Inside the bathroom, Maru withdrew from Rin and set her on her feet, gently guiding her to turn around with his hands on her hips. Rin found herself staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, which hung over the wide counter. She took in her disheveled appearance, blushing. Looking in the reflection at Maru, she saw his hands come forward to pull her blouse and jacket off her shoulders.

Bringing her arms out of her sleeves, Rin bit on her bottom lip at the feel of Maru's hands unclasping the front of her bra. The contraption was soon lying on the countertop in front of her, and Rin closed her eyes to the reflection in front of her as Maru cupped her bare breasts in his hands, gently thumbing the nipples until they became taut. She could feel and hear him smelling her hair, and her heartbeat sped up when he began to bruise the skin on the back of her shoulders, which forced her to lean over the counter a bit. Feeling his arousal brushing against her backside, Rin leaned the rest of the way over the counter, and placed her hands on its cool surface.

"You have the softest skin," Maru said from behind her ear. She felt his hands pull her skirt up and spread her legs farther apart. "I love the way you taste...the way you smell...the way you feel around me." With that, Maru squeezed into her with one thrust. Putting his hands on her hips, he lowered the angle of her pelvis and bucked his hips, bringing his member even further inside her body. Rin let her head drop down between her arms, crying out now that the bathroom door blocked some of the noise. She felt Maru's chest against her back, and his arms rubbed against hers as he placed his hands on the counter outside her own hands. She could hear him breathing heavily over her own pants.

The two times before when they had made love, Maru had worked up to the hard thrusts with which he ended before orgasm, but this time, Maru's control had completely snapped, and he started out fast and hard. Rin tensed and sucked in a gulp of air, letting it out in a high breathy cry at the onslaught of sensations that jerked her body forward towards the mirror. She braced her hand on it, trying to keep her breathing under control as she rapidly approached her climax. Maru lips rested near the nape of her neck, his mouth puffing out hot air as the friction and heat from where he was pumping into her became part of another heat creeping up his arousal. Hearing Rin let out a soft but strained cry, Maru's body stiffened as she said,

"_It feels so good..._" He felt himself climax for the third time that morning, and struggled to bring in oxygen despite the heavy pulses of pleasure pricking at every nerve in his body. Feeling Rin's inner muscles squeezing around him, Maru's forehead dropped onto the spot between Rin's shoulder blades, and Rin sighed contentedly, opening her eyes to see her reflection through slightly fogged glass. With her breasts exposed and hair messy, Rin almost like a milkmaid who had been tossed into the hayloft by the farmer's son. The man behind her...in her...looked like the personification of innocence lost.

Feeling spent, and like he wanted to go back to bed, Maru rested against Rin's back for another minute before pulling away from her, wrapping the used condom in a tissue and tossing it in the garbage. Maru pulled a hand towel off of the rack on the far wall, wetting it in the sink and handing it to Rin, who was trying to straighten her clothing. He then tucked himself back inside his pants and adjusted his shirt as he buttoned it.

"I was surprised that you had that condom with you, but now I think I know where you got it," Maru said, smirking at Rin, who was drying her face and hands. She dropped the towels onto the counter as she finished the last of the buttons on her blouse, and coyly glanced at Maru.

"I just wanted to be prepared, but I didn't really expect to...you know...at the office. I mean, I didn't think you'd actually...I'm glad, but..." Rin threw her arms up in frustration and stopped trying to form an entire sentence. Opening the bathroom door, she walked to the desk and picked up her underwear from the corner, slipping it into her other pocket. Maru's arms were suddenly around her, holding her tightly enough to make her ribs ache. His nose was buried in her hair, and his own hair, still undone, was draped over her shoulders. Rin closed her eyes and leaned her head back on Maru's shoulder, enjoying the tight embrace. Right then, a buzz broke the moment, and Jaken's grating voice came over the phone's speaker,

"Nara Ku is here for his nine o'clock, Mr. Sesshou." Jaken sounded very unhappy, as if Nara Ku was creeping him out. Maru gave Rin a last squeeze and a sound kiss on the cheek before releasing her and tying his hair back again. Walking her to the door with his hand on the small of her back, he unlocked the door and opened it. She preceded him out, but she hesitated in walking to her office. Instead, she was backing into Maru. He placed his hands on her shoulders, not seeing anything wrong with the man waiting in the outer office. _That guy...he's giving Rin an odd look...I don't like it._ Just as Maru was about to speak, Rin said something instead,

"O-Onigumo? Wh-what are you doing here?" Maru froze. _She knows him? From where?_ Nara Ku, or rather, Onigumo, let a small smile flit to his face.

"I haven't seen you in since college. What a pleasant coincidence." The guy practically reeked of oily creepiness. Rin was pressed back against Maru, hands pressed to her chest almost defensively. Nara Ku stood up and took a step in Rin and Maru's direction. Maru definitely could tell that Rin was distressed, and walked around to step in front of her. Reaching forward, he held out his hand for a handshake—to distract Nara Ku, if anything.

"Well, I'm a busy man, so let's please go into my office. Rin has her own things to attend to." Maru held out his other arm to guide Nara Ku into his office, and Rin kept Maru's body between herself and Nara Ku as he walked into the other office. Maru told Nara Ku to please have a seat, and turned to give Rin an "explain-yourself-later" look before shutting the door. Rin turned to look at Jaken, who seemed confused, but she diverted her gaze away and quickly went to her office, shutting the door and leaning on it.

_Dear God, now he knows where I work! Or did he already know and used an excuse to get up here and harass me? Maru knows that I know him, but I can't tell him about that! He'll think I'm soiled!_ Rin's chin dropped to her chest, and a couple of tears squeezed out of her tear ducts. _Why am I crying?! It's not my fault! It's his fault!_ Rin knew why she was crying, though. Not only was she afraid that Maru wouldn't be able to think of her the same way, but the experience had made her feel dirty and violated. Nothing would erase that...

Suddenly needing to clean her hands again, Rin walked to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands and face until they were red. Drying her face with a towel, Rin held it over her eyes as more tears leaked out. When she heard her office door open, Rin gasped and whipped her head to see who was coming in. Maru's glance swept the office, and found her standing inside the bathroom, cheeks red and eyes puffy. His eyes turned sad, and he closed the door behind him. Rin sniffed and looked away at her reflection in the mirror. Rather than looking aroused with the man of her dreams behind her, she was by herself and looking the worse for wear. Laying the towel on the counter, Rin flipped off the bathroom light and walked to where Maru stood with his hands in his pockets next to her desk, silently looking at her.

Rin sat down in her chair and swiveled it to face Maru as he followed her behind the desk. She leaned her elbow on the desk, looking down at Maru, who had dropped to one knee in front of her and held her gaze, intensely wanting to know what was wrong. Taking a solidifying breath, Rin plunged into her story,

"Back in college, I dated a couple of boys, but in my junior year, Onigumo and I went out for a couple of months." Sighing, Rin continued, "I thought I was in love with him. He really was good to me. Affectionate...One night after a party, he was helping me home to my dorm room. My roommate was gone for the weekend, and I was pretty drunk." Seeing his jaw tense up, Rin looked down at her hand. "I told him I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop him...I was too drunk and he was too strong...Later, I tried to tell myself that it was okay that he did it. That I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it...and then I found out the next Tuesday that he had been having sex with Kagura for a few weeks...and also, he was mean after that night—it's like his whole personality changed...he tried to do it again, but..." Rin had been losing her voice for the past couple of sentences, but the last finally broke her. "When I heard what he'd been doing with her, I knew that it had only been rape...and I felt so violated."

Breaking down right in front of Maru was horrifyingly embarrassing, but when she felt his hand cupping her cheek and lifting her face to look at him, Rin's crying slowed down. Still taking big, heaving breaths, Rin's heart melted when Maru said,

"Someone like him could never ruin a woman like you. And I won't let him near you again." The last sentence came out in a growl, as if Maru was suddenly angry. Sliding from her chair, Rin wrapped her arms around Maru's neck and straddled his thighs, pulling herself as close to him as possible. Hiding her face in the crook of his neck, Rin silently shed a few more tears as Maru rubbed her back and dropped kisses onto her temple. After a couple of minutes, her breathing had returned to normal, and Rin lifted her head to look at Maru. Concern showed on his face, and he rubbed the wetness off of her cheeks. _Needing_ to make love again, to prove that she _didn't_ belong to Onigumo at all, Rin looked at Maru's mouth, then his eyes again.

"M—...Make love to me, Maru. Please..." Rin whispered, tightening her hold around his shoulders. Maru was unsure as to why she wanted to, _especially_ after the story she had just told him, but if it would make her happy...

Reaching down between them, Maru began to unbutton his slacks. Rin scrambled for the little remote on her desk and shut the blinds, making the room much darker. She then fished for another condom inside her jacket pocket and brought it out. Maru, having taken himself out again, reached forward to push Rin's jacket off her shoulders, and then unbuttoned her shirt. Rin set the condom packet on the floor and reached down to wrap her hand around his arousal, which was quickly growing in size. Pumping her hand over it, she turned her head to suckle on his earlobe, and Maru groaned through his clenched teeth. Unclasping the front of Rin's bra, Maru filled his hands with her breasts, massaging them in his palms.

Both now breathing hard and fairly aroused after fondling each other for a few minutes, Rin grabbed for the condom packet still sitting on the floor and gave it to Maru, who tore open the package and rolled on the contraceptive. Rin raised herself further up on her knees and positioned herself over Maru, guiding his tip to the right place. Looking into his eyes as she sank down, Rin thought to herself, _I'm yours...only yours..._Spreading her knees wide, Rin closed her eyes, and sank a bit further, having opened herself more. Maru moaned, shifting on his shins beneath her and shoving his hands up her skirt to hold onto her hind end.

Rin slid her hands up Maru's chest and secured them on his shoulders as Maru's hands began to rock her pelvis against his. Seeing that the clock on the wall read 9:30, Maru clenched his thigh muscles and bucked up into her body, which made Rin's head roll back. She began to rise up on her knees and sink back down, her pace quickening at a fast rate. After only a minute, she was thrusting down upon him as fast as he could meet her thrusts, both straining and grinding against each other. Maru finally became aware of a soft chant coming from her throat, and it was clear what she was saying when she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders, her cheek pressed to his,

"Only...yours...only..._yours..._" Maru squeezed his eyes shut, realizing the meaning. Holding her close, Maru leaned them forward so that Rin had to hold onto his body. With one arm around her and one arm bracing their weight on the floor, Maru told her to bring her feet forward, and Rin complied, planting the heels of her shoes on the carpet. Rin's backside slid to the floor, and Maru widened the distance between his knees, pressing into her again. With a strained groan, Rin tightened her hold on Maru's shoulders. She was throbbing with need.

Maru then began a quick pace, pumping into her hard and deep. Rin's thighs were quivering around his hips, and she was emitting breathy groans that grew in pitch. Maru was close, feeling more aroused than he had ever been before, and the ache clawed at his stomach. When her thighs suddenly clamped around his waist and her hold on him tightened, he could feel her inner muscles throbbing. He gave one last push, and let their bodies fall to the floor as he gasped. He orgasmed almost painfully, and sucked in huge breaths of air. Rin, however, was trying to keep from losing her grasp on reality. Her vision was blurred at the edges, pleasure rolling through her veins. She could hear her heart beating inside her head.

Finding Maru's lower back, Rin rubbed her hand up and down his spine—he was probably dead tired now. For another five minutes, they laid there, panting as Rin found comfort in Maru's arms. Maru looked up again, finding that Rin's face looked relaxed. He inched forward so that his face was directly above hers, and quietly called her name. Rin's eyes fluttered open, and she brought his head down for a light kiss. Bringing his head away again, Maru asked,

"Do you think you'll be okay?" Rin nodded in response, still rubbing her hand up and down his spine. "He'll never come near you again...I promise you." Rin's eyes began to tear up again, and Maru leaned down for another, deeper kiss. Softly and slowly moving his lips, Maru smoothed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Though the sex had made Rin feel better, the kiss was downright therapeutic. Maru eventually pulled his head away, glad to see the tears gone from her eyes.

"Will you kiss me like that everyday?" she whispered as she swirled her fingers around the nape of his neck.

"If you let me..." Then leaning down, he gave into the temptation again. They laid there until 9:55, with Maru buried inside her, he legs wrapped around his hips and shirt wide open, kissing and whispering to each other.


	5. Chapter 5

_-Later-_

After Maru's ten o'clock appointment, he found Rin in her office, working on the computer with a few stacks of papers around the laptop. He wasn't even sure why he had come over since he had his own things to work on, and it wasn't quite lunchtime yet. Rin looked up, seemingly just as carefree as she had been before the incident with Onigumo. He didn't know why she hadn't asked about what Onigumo and he had discussed...and he didn't exactly want to tell her why Onigumo had come to see him—the reasons were rather unsettling, and he wanted to take care of the situation without getting her further involved, but she had to know. Locking the door behind him to keep out anyone barging in on the conversation, he said,

"I wanted to tell you why Nara Ku came to see me." Rin's smile wavered, and her hands stopped moving over the keyboard. She seemed to think about it for a couple of seconds, and then finally closed her laptop.

"Okay..." Getting up, she walked around to sit in one of the two chairs facing her desk, sitting down just as Maru took the other seat. Tiredly setting his forearms on the armrests, Maru took a deep breath and let it out. Rin looked at him anxiously, hoping to herself that Onigumo's reappearance in her life was simply coincidence.

"Well, the first thing I asked him was why his name was Nara Ku when you had said his first name had been Onigumo. He was almost nonchalant when he said it was because Nara Ku was an alias. He didn't outright say it, but Onigumo is in the mob," Maru rumbled, though the only sign of anger on his face were his tense jaw muscles. Rin gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. _He's in the mob?! When did this happen?! I—I can't deal with this!_ Maru continued, "He has affiliations with Arnold Blunderson, and had been in the lobby of D&S last Monday afternoon. He didn't say why he was here, but he said he was 'surprised and pleased' to see someone from college walking in."

Rin's eyes closed, and her hands moved up to cover her entire face. _This can't be happening—it can't be happening._ Speaking from behind her hands, Rin asked,

"Wh—why did he come see you then?" Maru wanted to pull Rin's hands away from her face, but stopped himself so that he could give her the whole story first.

"He's supposedly been watching you this whole time, and knows about us. I frankly wouldn't care if he told the higher-up's about us—Miroku pretty much knows, anyway. However, he's got it in his head that you're his...his property...and threatened to make me disappear if I didn't stop seeing you." This last statement got Rin crying, understandably. After only ten seconds, though, Rin couldn't control the anger that welled up, and tore her hands away.

"He can't do that! I'm going to see the man of my dreams if I want to!" Rin ground out, angrier than she had ever been in her life. She didn't notice Maru's raised eyebrow upon her mention of him being the 'man of her dreams,' but rather, kept on going. "I'll go to the police before I ever stop seeing you!" Rin was fairly shaking with anger, but her eyes softened when they fell on Maru's concerned face. _Why did that monster ever enter my life? I could have simply passed him by and been fresh for Maru. Why didn't I see what he was?_ Now only feeling regret and frustration, Rin's hands balled into fists and she watched her knuckles turn white.

"My father was the police commissioner for about eight years when I was a child. So I know quite a few people on the police force now. I'll make a few calls after lunch today. Cops are always more genial when they've been fed," Maru joked, hoping to get a smile out of Rin. She took a deep breath and let it out as her hands relaxed in her lap. Her mind started to clear a bit, and she looked up at Maru. He couldn't help but admire her determination.

"It's strange that your father is a cop," Rin pointed out, wanting to change the subject. "My father was a firefighter. I don't think Yasha mentioned what he does for a living. Or why his family name is different from yours. Neither of you talked about yourselves very much." Rin had dabbed at the wetness around her eyes, which were starting to look normal again. Her eyelashes were still spiky from being wet, and her cheeks were still a bit flushed, but her enormous brown eyes were clear and bright. He swallowed.

"Well, my mother met my father when he was pulling her over for speeding. She used to say that the way father looked in his uniform was what first drew her," Maru laughed, which brought a small smile to Rin's face. "They had me first, but then mother died in a car accident. Someone ran a red light while she was crossing the street." Rin's face quickly lost its smile.

"I'm sorry. That must have been rough," she said. He shook his head, continuing,

"That wasn't the worst part. Father was pretty upset, and kind of...went a little crazy for a while. He slept around, and got Yasha's mother pregnant when I was about eight. She didn't tell him until the hospital called to say she was in labor. She had broken it off with father only a couple weeks after they had started dating. I remember overhearing that she left my father because he wasn't around enough. She died of complications, and father adopted Yasha, but didn't give him his family name. Yasha resented that when he was older, but the two of them worked it out between the two of them. Yasha never really told me how it went. Kagome was the best thing that ever happened to him. He was sort of a punk in high school, but...she made him want to be something more than just another thug. He went to NYU with her and got a degree in engineering. He works for a computer company now, and Kagome teaches." Having answered all of Rin's questions, Maru fell silent, staring at a spot on the floor.

Rin looked away from him to the clock on the wall, which read 11:07. _We should get back to work until lunch at noon...but...I can't seem to concentrate today._ Unsure of what to say next, Rin looked back at Maru, who had been watching her profile. She felt an urgent need to thank Maru for being there for her, a need that galvanized her to rise from her seat and gingerly slid into his lap. He didn't look surprised, and instead held her close. She laced her fingers behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Thank you, Maru," Rin sighed against his mouth before parting his mouth with her tongue and sliding it along the flesh of his lips. Rin's heartbeat increased, and she could definitely tell that Maru was enjoying the kiss—the hardness forming underneath her left thigh attested to that fact. Pulling back a bit, Rin smiled at Maru, feeling mischievous. "You can actually do this again? I thought men couldn't take it too many times in one day." Maru had wrapped his right arm around her body, his right hand holding one of her breasts possessively, and his other hand was squeezing her rear.

"We can handle it...we just need a break once in a while," Maru said coolly, leaning down to kiss her again. His kiss was once again soft and gentle, which pulled at Rin's heartstrings. Holding him closer still, Rin deepened the kiss a little, but kept it slow. She did want to go faster—the way his right hand was massaging her chest certainly was a factor. For another two minutes or so, Maru suckled at Rin's lips, turning them red. Rin was squirming a little in his lap, feeling warm and heavy in his arms. Pulling back, Rin's passion-glazed eyes met Maru's steady gaze. Rin pressed her chest against Maru's constantly moving hand, whispering,

"Is the door locked?" Maru simply nodded, having lost his voice. Rin then slid from Maru's lap, despite his attempts to pull her back. Pulling out the third condom, Rin tossed it at him, warning, "That's the last one I stole. We'll have to actually work for the rest of the day." Rin stood between Maru's legs, tugging her tan skirt up. Maru quickly worked his slacks open, rolling the condom on and sitting more comfortably in the chair. Walking herself over the chair, Rin was poised above Maru's lap and reached back to find the arms of the chair. Maru's hands guided her hips as she sank down—knees hooked over the armrests and feet leaving the floor. Breathing deeply, Maru leaned his head back as Rin settled over him. She brought her hands forward, unbuttoning her blouse once again. She opened her bra for his hungry gaze, and set her lips against his temple when he pulled her closer.

With one arm around her waist while the other hand held her breast, Maru leaned forward and laved his tongue over the tip. Rin braced her hands on the armrests again, bringing herself up and then lowering herself down. Relishing the feel of Maru inside her body, she clenched her inner muscles as she pulled up again, and heard Maru barely hold back an agonized cry as his arm tightened around her waist. Shifting somewhat, Maru held her hind end in his hands, helping her move up and down. Rin gripped the back of the chair just above Maru's shoulders, pressing her chest against his and taking his lips in an open-mouthed kiss. She concentrated on the kiss, and on clenching her muscles at the right time in each stroke. Letting up a bit to let Maru breathe, Rin pressed her cheek to his, closing her eyes and focusing on the feel of his arousal moving in and out of her body.

"Maru..." Rin softly sighed into his ear, feeling a slow, strong climax coming..._just a little more._ Maru was so close to orgasm that it only bumped up the pleasure a notch higher each time climax eluded him. She let her head roll back, letting out high-pitched, breathy groans as Maru's hands moved her body faster. Her arm muscles tightened with every stroke as she pulled herself up, squeezing his arousal with her body. "_Maru..._" Climaxing with the final hard thrust he gave as his own orgasm arrived, Rin sank against his chest. Taking in large gulps of air, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he throbbed inside her body, which pulsated around him.

"Rin...that's the best thank you I've ever received," he mumbled into her shoulder.

_-End of the Work Day-_

After eating at Hatsuhana and doing a real four hours worth of work to make up for their lack of it earlier that day, Maru and Rin were almost ready to leave the office. Rin was writing a few notes to herself for the next day when Maru walked into her office in his black trench coat and leather briefcase. The phone rang, and Rin reached to pick it up as Maru set his briefcase down in the chair across from her desk...where they had made love hours earlier.

"Tsubaki Rin..." Rin listened to the person on the other line for about a minute, then answered, "You can come in to fill out that paperwork or I can send it to you by mail...yes, I'll help you fill it out if you come in...uhm, I have Thursday at nine o'clock open if that's good for you...yes...sure...uh-huh...okay, thanks!" Hanging up the phone, Rin jotted down another note on her memo pad and left it lying next to the phone. Maru then said,

"I talked to Detective Seikai for awhile when we got back from lunch. He's been tracking New York's mob for at least ten years now, and let me in on a couple of things about Onigumo. He supposedly runs a restaurant in Brooklyn called Hell's Kitchen. It makes a ton of money, but isn't a very popular place. Seikai thinks Onigumo's restaurant is a front, of course, but he's not sure for whom. He's going to have someone watch the lobby of D&S and our apartment building." Maru waited for what Rin would say because her reaction indicated relief.

"That's good to know. I feel better now that you're safe," Rin sighed, closing her laptop. Maru struck an offended pose.

"You don't think a native New Yorker can handle a weasel like Onigumo? I have my own talents, Rin." Maru's ego had been pummeled, so Rin shrugged into her jacket and walked around the desk with her briefcase.

"I don't doubt your ability to whoop ass, Maru," Rin joked, but Maru simply raised an eyebrow at her. "I doubt your willingness to protect yourself if forced to keep Onigumo away from me." Rin's eyes had turned serious, and Maru's eyes softened. "I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt because of me." Maru pulled Rin into a hug, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. A knock on the door got the two apart quickly enough, and Jaken's head peeked around the corner of the door.

"I'm leaving now, Mr. Sesshou, unless there's anything else you need," he said. Maru picked up his briefcase, and Rin followed suit, draping her purse over her other shoulder.

"That should be all for today. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Maru calmly replied. Rin wondered if Maru was angry with Jaken—he always seemed to be angry with him. Jaken just nodded, and his head disappeared behind the door. Maru listened to his footsteps for about fifteen seconds before turning to Rin. Bringing up his free arm, Maru held Rin's chin in his hand, opening her lips with his thumb. Leaning down, he slid his tongue between her lips, slowly slanting his mouth over hers. Rin laid a hand on his bicep, leaning into the kiss. Maru pulled back and licked his lips as he stared down at Rin.

"So what are your plans for dinner tonight?" he asked, which took awhile to register in Rin's mind. She looked off to the side in thought, and then brought her gaze back to Maru. Smiling, Rin answered,

"I need to stop by a grocery store anyway, so I'll make you dinner tonight. It should be ready by seven, but...you can always come over earlier and hang out with me." Maru's eyebrow went up again, making Rin want to smooth it back down.

"Do you need a ride to the store?" Rin shook her head, and secured her purse over her shoulder. They made their way to the elevator and crammed into one headed downstairs.

"I'll get a taxi and be back to the apartment by six-thirty." Waiting in silence for another minute, the elevator stopped once more before reaching the ground floor, and everyone piled out to go home. Maru squeezed Rin's hand once before heading across the street to the parking garage as Rin hailed a taxi.

_-Six o'clock-_

Somehow balancing three grocery bags, her purse, and her briefcase, Rin managed to clamber out of the taxicab, and the doorman ran up to help her.

"Wow...that's a lot of stuff to be carrying!" he exclaimed, taking two of the bags out of her arms. Rin smiled and thanked him, walking into the building to the set of elevators on the left side of the lobby. Inside the elevator, she pushed the button for floor twenty-two, and the doorman handed her the bags again, stepping back as the elevator doors closed. After twenty-one dings, the doors opened on floor twenty-two, and Rin managed to set down her grocery bags on the hallway floor before fishing her key out of her purse. Unlocking the door, she threw her key back into her purse, and opened the door. Setting her briefcase and purse against the wall inside, she pulled the three grocery bags inside, and finally got all three on the counter. Flipping on a few lights as she went, Rin put her briefcase and purse in the living room, and kicked off her high heels.

After changing into a pair of jeans and a red and yellow blouse, Rin put away the groceries except for the ingredients she needed, and pulled a couple pans from the overhead rack, setting them on the stove. Rin turned the little fifteen-inch TV in the kitchen towards the stove, and turned it on, finding the last three or four minutes of the local news. Hearing a knock on the door, Rin ran to it, peeping through the little hole and finding a sexy boss on the other side. Quickly opening the door, Rin smiled hugely at Maru, inviting him inside.

Maru was surprised at how different Rin looked in casual clothing—hair down, feet bare, and...just looking young. He had changed into a pair of black slacks and a dark blue, button down shirt that hugged the muscles of his chest, back, and upper arms. Rin shut the door behind him, cheerfully saying,

"It's always nice to have a home-cooked meal. I'm making tacos, so I hope you like Mexican food." Rin then walked into the kitchen, and Maru followed her around the partition. She was cooking some hamburger, sprinkling onion chips into the pan. Off to the side was a head of lettuce sitting on top of a cutting board with a thin, sharp knife sitting next to it. "So what did you do between five o'clock and now?" Rin asked, prodding the hamburger inside the pan.

"I made a phone call, changed, then sat and pined after you," Maru said in a deadpan voice. Rin laughed, and strafed to the cutting board.

"Who did you call?" Slicing through the lettuce carefully, Rin threw the scraps into the sink and the rest into a bowl. Maru leaned his hip against the counter, watching her hands slice up the lettuce.

"I called Detective Seikai for any updates," he replied, noticing that her hands stopped for a couple of seconds.

"Really? What did he say?" Rin asked, obviously trying to sound offhand. She finished with the lettuce and began to gather up the remains to dump into the sink's garbage disposal.

"Neither of the surveillance officers saw anything," he said simply. He saw Rin nod as she turned on the water and flipped the switch for the garbage disposal. A few seconds later, she shut it off and washed her hands, not saying anything. That's when the news came back from commercial for their final stories, and Rin caught someone's name.

"An apartment building on the lower west end was infiltrated by several intruders, who had no trouble getting inside since the building's security measures were malfunctioning. The intruders vandalized and robbed some apartments, and broke in the door of another. Thankfully, the occupant had moved out a few days earlier. Perhaps the worst crime was the brutalizing one of the tenants, who happened to be in the stairway during the raid. Originally a Queens resident, Tanuki Mushin, died of his injuries in the hospital. Also, an act of ..." As the anchor went on to another story, Rin stood there in a state of shock, tears pooling in her eyes.

Maru was about to go to her when the cell phone attached to his belt rang. He ground his teeth together, but checked to see the number of the person calling. Seeing it was the office number of Seikai, he answered the call.

"Yes?" Listening for a while, he brought her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and was breathing heavily in an attempt to stop crying. "I see," he said after a couple of minutes. Rin seemed to have quieted down, and he looked at her to see that she was waiting for him to relay information from the detective. "I appreciate this, Seikai. I'll talk to you in the morning...Yes, good night." Ending the call, Maru set the cell phone on the counter and placed the now free hand on Rin's shoulder.

"What did he say? Was it about Mushin?" Rin was clutching the back of Maru's shirt. Squeezing her shoulders under his hands, Maru replied,

"Yes. He hadn't received the information that the incident had occurred in your old apartment building until very recently. The apartment with the broken door was yours." Rin's mouth fell open at this news. Maru continued, "They've posted an officer in civilian clothing downstairs for the night. Detective Seikai wants to speak with you tomorrow. Is that alright?" Rin's mouth slowly closed, and she nodded once. Taking a deep breath, Rin forged ahead,

"Well, I better get back to the meat before it burns." Pulling out of his arms, Rin made her way back in front of the stove and turned down the heat beneath the hamburger. Maru watched as she drained the grease away from the pan, and then added the seasoning mix to the meat. She then set a glass lid over the top and turned to pick up the bowl of lettuce.

"Rin..." Maru's voice sounded concerned since she wasn't talking, but Rin didn't want him to see her face right then.

"Tell me more about you. Your favorite color, best childhood memory...that sort of stuff." Rin washed the lettuce as she spoke, shaking out the water from the bottom of the bowl as best she could. Picking up the tomato sitting near the cutting board, Rin washed the knife, and went to work on the tomato. Maru resignedly complied with her wish, seeing that she didn't want to talk about Onigumo at all.

"I don't really have a favorite color...I like white, I suppose." Maru then leaned back on the counter, crossing one ankle over the other. "When I was a kid, Yasha and I didn't really play together or anything. He was too little by the time I was a teenager for me to really want to spend time with him. I think Yasha takes exception to that..." Maru's voice died away a bit, but then Rin said,

"That's understandable. Most teenagers hate the little brother disease. Did you and your brother talk much when you got older?" Rin ventured, trying to make him open up.

"I had just entered graduate school when he got to high school, so we didn't talk much, no. He's probably only a year older than you. When he moved into the city for his job, we decided to eat lunch once a week in order to make up for lost time. I usually tease him about this gun my father gave him when he retired from the force. It was this .44 magnum father used to carry around. He even named it Tessaiga. Yasha wasn't thrilled to get it at first, but it grew on him. I tease him because I had always wanted it for myself. Since it was father's favorite, almost like part of his body, but he gave it to the younger son." Maru's voice had drifted away from the deadpan, monotone voice Rin sometimes heard. _It sounds...younger now._

"Did your father give you anything?" Rin had turned from the cutting board, where the tomato had been sliced and diced, and sat in a pile in the middle.

"The gun given to every cop. He had named it Tenseiga because he used it to save people. Tessaiga—that's the only other weapon besides Tenseiga that he had with him when he met Yasha's mother. There was this robbery down in Queens at a convenience store, and father had been in line to buy some milk. Yasha's mother was the clerk, and this young guy pulled out a gun. Father tried to arrest him once he had Tenseiga out, but the guy just starting shooting. When the clip in Tenseiga ran out after father had gotten behind the counter with Yasha's mother, he pulled out Tessaiga, and managed to floor the guy with a bullet in the kneecap. The guy was one centimeter from losing the bottom half of that leg." Rin winced, which got Maru smiling.

"That's how he met Yasha's mother...I remember seeing her once. She was a very kind-looking person. Anyway, he gave Tenseiga to me, and Tessaiga to Yasha." Maru crossed his arms, looking away from Rin.

"It sounds to me like he cherished both the same amount. I'm sure he loved you and Yasha. Perhaps he gave Tessaiga to Yasha because...well, the woman he defended was his mother. It only seems fair. A .44 magnum may be more powerful, but the standard issue gun saved many more lives. I think you got the better gift, Maru," Rin reasoned, drying her hands on a towel. Maru didn't say anything, but looked over at Rin with a guarded expression. "Is your father still alive, Maru?" He shook his head, and Rin's face turned sympathetic.

"Some punk shot him because he didn't want a parking ticket. I thought my father was invincible, but a single gunshot in his kidney did it." Maru looked like he wanted to change the subject, so Rin looked around the kitchen, thinking of what she might say.

"Do you like hard shells or soft? I can make both, if you want." It was an odd way to end the conversation, but Rin wanted to get Maru smiling again. He didn't respond, though, and Rin just turned away to start placing some shells onto a cookie sheet as she turned on the oven.

"How about you? Are your parents still alive?" Rin set the sheet to the side and opened a second box of soft shells. She didn't look at him as she said,

"No. My mom and dad died of cancer. My dad had lung cancer, and my mom had breast cancer." Rin began to set three or four soft shells on the side of the cookie sheet, and laughed. "You know, this dinner date isn't turning out to be very enjoyable, is it? Maybe we should have gone out to eat." Hearing Maru move, Rin stiffened slightly as he wrapped her arms around her, but relaxed almost immediately. She could feel Maru's breath on her cheek, and closed her eyes.

"I'm enjoying myself because I'm coming to know you better. I would enjoy that any day." Her eyes began to sting, but she kept any tears from leaking out. _Oh, Maru...you always know what to say, don't you?_Rin brought up her forearms and hooked her hands over his arms as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"I like getting to know you, too," Rin sighed. She felt Maru brush his lips against her temple before he released her. Rin saw that the meat had simmered long enough and spooned it out into a bowl. Seeing the oven was ready, Rin set the timer and put the shells inside the oven. Carrying the bowl of taco meat to the little breakfast nook's table, she set it down between two of her best plates. Maru watched her as she went about the kitchen, noticing the way her body moved and the different looks that crossed her face.

"What would you like to drink?" Rin asked, looking inside her fridge. Walking over to her, Maru leaned down over her to peer inside. Rin bit her lip, feeling his pelvis brushing against her backside.

"Hmm...some of that Lasani water sounds good," Maru said as he leaned back up. Rin grabbed two bottles and then turned to a cupboard and brought out two glasses. Filling them with the water, Rin brought them over to the table.

"Dinner's served!" Rin piped happily. Maru smirked at her cheerfulness despite the long day, and sat down opposite her. The two chatted amiably about their childhoods as they ate, and Rin was happy enough to hear that Maru liked her cooking. _He must be hungry_, Rin thought, looking at the number of tacos he was consuming. Rin actually got a laugh of out him at one point, which just made her heart swell inside her chest.

After drying her hands once the dishes had been set to the side to dry, Rin turned to see Maru looking at a picture of Rin's parents hanging on the wall. She tossed the dishtowel onto the counter and walked up to his side.

"Dad got lung cancer because of all the smoke he inhaled from being a firefighter...and mom's side of the family is prone to breast cancer. I sometimes wonder if I'll get it someday." Rin ran her hand down Maru's arm as she glanced at her mother's smiling face. Maru turned to her.

"You will not get breast cancer." Maru seemed to be almost commanding it, which got a smile out of Rin.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Rin allowed Maru to pull her close and laced her fingers behind his neck, noticing how his ponytail brushed her knuckles.

"Because I like your breasts too much," he grumbled, pressing his hands against the small of her back. Rin smiled softly, somehow touched by the sideswipe compliment. She pulled gently on his neck and closed her eyes, loving how his arms slid around her waist. She felt her feet leave the floor as the tip of his nose brushed hers. She could feel his breath against her mouth, and licked her lips as they parted.

"Maru..." Rin whispered, tilting her chin towards his mouth. She secured her arms around his shoulders, but opened her eyes when she felt his mouth back away from hers. Maru was looking at her differently somehow, and Rin tilted her head to the side a bit, returning his glance with a questioning one. "What's wrong?" Rin softly asked. Maru lips came together in a smirk, and he set her down on her feet again.

"Nothing is wrong. I just...want to wait a little while until we...get into that again," Maru said, smoothing his hand down her arm to grab her hand and squeeze it. Rin looked confused, but only nodded. Squeezing his hand back, she pulled him into the living room and asked him to sit on the couch. Walking over to her only other TV, she leaned over the cabinet it was sitting on, checking the connections to the VCR. Finding a movie to watch out of her collection, she popped a tape into the VCR and grabbed the pile of remotes on the cabinet, bringing them back to the couch. Sitting down, Rin smiled as Maru pulled her back against him. She managed to get the movie started before leaning out of his arms to set the remotes on the glass coffee table in front of the couch. Leaning back again, Rin set her forearms on top of the ones wrapped around her ribs.

"I hope you like this movie...I tried to pick a manly one," Rin said, smiling. Maru set his cheek against her temple.

"Hmm...this movie is based on Tom Clancy novel, isn't it?" Rin made an agreeing noise. Throughout the movie, Rin and Maru talked once in a while about back-plot, current events, and how Rin thought that Alec Baldwin looked good in this movie, which got Maru grumbling about how it was only because he was wearing a uniform. Rin chuckled at his jealousy, but assured him that he looked just as good in everything he wore. The day had exhausted Rin, though, and by the end of the movie, it was close to ten, and Rin had leaned her head back on Maru's shoulder with her lips set against his neck. Maru could tell she was asleep as the credits scrolled up the screen—her eyes were closed and her breathing had slowed down.

Rolling his shoulder a bit, Maru brought Rin's lips up to his, and gently suckled her lower lip. Rin came back to reality after a few seconds, and her eyes fluttered open to see Maru looking down at her with that odd look on his face again.

"You keep looking at me like that," Rin quietly commented, squeezing the bicep under her hand. Maru smirked again, running his hand down her back, over her hip, and under her knees, pulling her legs over his thighs. Laying them down on the couch, its overstuffed cotton cushioning them, Maru said,

"It's just that I realized something important." Rin's eyes gazed into his wonderingly, but Maru shook his head. "I don't know if you've realized it yet. I'm thinking I might ask, though." Rin's lips drifted apart, catching onto his mood. Bringing his face close, Maru brushed his lips against Rin's, and looked directly into her eyes. "Do you think you might have come to care for me, Rin?" Rin's heart was fluttering inside her chest, and she swallowed heavily.

"I... I feel distracted lately. I can only think of you sometimes." Maru' thumb was caressing her cheekbone, and Rin felt a blush rise to her face. _Is...is he asking me if I love him? I have thought about it...but I don't know. This is the first time that I've actually had a normal, close relationship with a man..._ Rin didn't know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say, but not what she should say.

"Do...do you love me, Rin?" Rin's eyes widened a bit as Maru confirmed what she was thinking. Maru was close to wincing at how hard his heart was palpitating inside his chest. He was genuinely afraid that she would reject him. _I asked her too soon. How could someone fall in love that fast?_ Maru watched Rin's expression anxiously. Rin, having not found what she should say, said what she wanted to say instead,

"Yes. I do love you, Maru." Feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her chest despite the fact that Maru was still laying on top of it, Rin smiled. Maru returned the smile, and Rin noticed that it was the first genuinely happy smile she had ever seen on him. _Goodness...seeing him smile like that makes him even more handsome._

"I love you, too, Rin. I love you so much, it hurts." Maru leaned down the last two inches and finally kissed her. He made love to her mouth, holding the side of her face in one hand and sliding his other hand under her shirt to massage and mold her breast underneath his palm. Rin moaned into the kiss, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his upper arm. Then sliding her hands down between their bodies, she found the button in her jeans and released it, sliding the zipper down before searching for the button of Maru's slacks. Feeling his arousal pressed against her right hip, she easily located what she was looking for.

Maru released Rin's mouth and leaned back on his knees. Rin pulled her shirt up and off as Maru unbuttoned his shirt. Wiggling out of her jeans, Rin finally kicked them off and watched as Maru's shirt fell on top of her jeans. He stood up, dropping his slacks and boxers to the floor. Rin quickly slid her underwear off, kicking them to the side as Maru stepped out of his slacks. Instead of lying down again on the sofa, Maru hooked his arms underneath Rin, picking her up. Rin couldn't help but notice how warm his skin was as he walked them to her bedroom. Setting her down next to the bed, Maru leaned down to where she stood to steal another kiss, which made Rin's knees feel wobbly and weak.

Maru and Rin were both breathing deeply by the time the kiss broke, and Maru gruffly asked her if she had protection. Rin shook her head, but whispered as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck again, "We don't need any, Maru." Maru slid his hands up Rin's sides, which got her giggling against his mouth. Sitting on the side of the bed, Maru reached to his left to grab a pillow at the top of the bed and set it behind him. Gently taking Rin's hands again, he lied back and pulled her over him so that she straddled his straining arousal. Rin was about to take him inside herself, but Maru simply said wait, and reached between her legs to find the sensitive spot in the warm folds of her body. Rin stiffened, but her mouth fell open in a silent cry. He rubbed very gently in small circles, not directly touching the responsive area. Watching Rin in the semi-darkness of the room, Maru's other hand trembled slightly with the effort it took not to grab her hips and pull her down. Rin's eyes were closed, her eyebrows bunched together a bit, and her lips were slightly ajar.

"Rin," Maru almost gasped, his need taking his breath away. When she opened her eyes to look down at him, the shiny orbs glazed over, Maru said, "Are you ready?" He was still rubbing in small circles, trying to keep Rin's hips from moving with his other hand.

"I'll always be ready for you," Rin sighed, closing her eyes again. Maru groaned at her response, taking his hand away despite her little moans of protest. Holding her hips, Maru guided her body down over his arousal. Rin sank down to the hilt of his body, and took his hands away from her hips. She pressed her palms against his palms, lacing her fingers through his fingers, and then opened her eyes. Finding Maru's eyes searching hers, Rin rose on her knees, and then sank back down, squeezing his body inside hers all the while.

"Unhh..._Rin..._" Maru choked out, clenching his teeth. Quickening the pace, Rin pressed the backs of his hands to the bedspread as she leaned forward. Feeling the rise of pleasure as warmth in her lower abdomen, she softly groaned. For a while, she bucked down against him, eliciting guttural sounds from his throat. Maru then brought his feet up onto the bed, tilting Maru's pelvis more towards Rin. The next thrust against Maru pushed him further into Rin's body, and she cried out at the friction his length was creating against the pearl underneath her skin. Going as fast as she could, Rin's soft, shallow breaths clashed with Maru's harsh, loud breaths. Shakily gasping in a high pitch, Rin plunged down against Maru one last time, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and trying to hold onto reality as the blood rushing through her veins threatened to make her faint. Maru harshly groaned as he pushed his hips up a bit, spilling himself inside her welcoming body.

Rin's arms began to shake, so she released Maru's hands and wilted down onto his chest. Feeling Maru's arms wrap around her back, Rin's heart finally slowed down, and she managed to swallow, having caught her breath. Nuzzling a spot behind Maru's ear, Rin brushed her fingertips along Maru's temple, smoothing the tiny strands of hair that escaped his ponytail away from his forehead. Maru sounded as if he was purring, which made Rin smile against his throat. Sitting up, she withdrew him from her body and sat to the side, lying back on the other pillow as Maru twisted up to lie next to her. Both managed to get underneath the covers, and Maru pulled Rin into his arms, both sharing a single pillow since Rin used Maru's arm as a cushion. Their legs tangled together underneath the covers, and Rin draped her free arm over Maru's side.

"Maru?" Rin mumbled against his chest. Maru made a questioning noise, brushing Rin's bangs away from her face. "Will you wake me up when it's time?" Replying with a simple yes, Rin seemed to settle down for the night, and Maru couldn't help but hold her tighter for a few seconds. _If he tries anything...I'll kill him._


	6. Chapter 6

_-The Next Morning-_

As Miroku strode confidently into the main lobby of Durst and Sung, his tan trench coat billowed behind him, showing off the black silk suit custom sewn to his figure. Seeing a certain lovely employee talking to a guard at the security desk, Miroku's pace slowed as he neared Sango. She was wearing one of his favorite outfits—a silky white blouse with a black pinstriped skirt. The black hose she wore accented the shape of her legs, and her black shoes had high, thick heels with a strap over the ankle. He could see thin, dangly earrings hanging from her perfect earlobes, and her luscious black hair was in a loose ponytail tied below her shoulders. Hearing the tone of her voice, though, she seemed to be upset about something. _What's this now?_

"What do you mean, you don't know? You haven't tried to call him? He hasn't been to work for a week! You don't think he'd just quit, do you?" Sango vehemently said, trying to keep her voice down to a civil level. Miroku stopped behind her, not yet alerting her to his presence. The security guard currently manning the desk replied,

"We called him five times on Thursday, five times on Friday, and a couple of times on Monday. Today when I called, the operator said the line was no longer in use. Miss Taijiya, I'm sorry, but Kohaku seems to have disappeared. Maybe he's in jail or something...did you try calling the police?" The guard seemed almost apathetic about Sango's situation, which got Miroku a mite more than piqued. Sango slapped her hand down on the counter.

"He would have called me if he were! Or at least his lawyer would have if it were that kind of trouble. He just wouldn't drop everything like that! ...Look, did he say where he was going Wednesday night?" Sango asked, her voice now sounding defeated. The guard scratched his head as he leaned back in his chair. He looked to his right as if accessing his memory, but his mouth grimaced as his memory escaped him.

"I don't know, to say the truth. I'm sorry I couldn't help," he apologized. Miroku saw Sango's shoulders sag, and he set his briefcase down against his leg as he reached up to squeeze her shoulders. Sango gasped in surprise and turned around, revealing to Miroku the tears in her eyes. Miroku asked what was the matter, although he already knew most of the story.

"Kohaku didn't show up to work on Thursday, and he never called me. I don't know where he is! My brother could be dead in some alley, and I can't find him!" Sango quickly whispered, glancing around to see if anyone was watching the tears squeeze out of her eyes. Miroku leaned down again to pick up his briefcase and held her elbow with his other hand.

"Let's go to your office and we'll call a few people. If you still can't get a hold of him, we'll go to the district police station and fill out a missing person's report, okay?" Tugging on her elbow, Miroku got Sango to nod as she hurriedly wiped away a few stray tears. He temporarily let go of her arm as they walked to the elevator and pulled a white handkerchief out of his breast pocket, handing it to Sango. At the elevator, the two of them and four other people rode up, and Miroku kept his hand in the small of Sango's back as she dabbed at her eyes. At the fourteenth floor, he and Sango stepped off, briskly walking to the personnel office. Inside, Sango opened up the backroom's door, locating a phone on the desk on the left wall where she had set up Rin's laptop the Monday before. Miroku set down his briefcase in the rolling office chair next to the desk, and shrugged off his trench coat, laying it over the edge of the chair.

"Are you going to try his apartment number again?" Sango asked, her voice still a bit shaky. Miroku pulled out a Palm Navigator and looked up at Sango, taking a moment to wipe a tear off of her cheek.

"Yes, but if it really is disconnected, I'm going to call the main desk of his building to see if they know anything." Nodding, Sango rolled another office chair over to the desk and sat down as Miroku tapped on the screen of the Palm Navigator a few times. Reaching for the phone, he asked Sango for Kohaku's number, and then dialed it. Hearing Miroku sigh after the automated operator reply turned on, Sango took a deep breath to calm herself down. Miroku then consulted his Navigator and dialed another number.

"Yes, I wanted to ask about a tenant in your building...we're trying to call him, but it seems that he may have moved...yes...Taijiya Kohaku...Thank you," Miroku said, setting his briefcase down on the floor and sitting in the office chair. He watched a spot on the floor while he listened, and Sango saw his eyebrows shoot up once before they slowly sank back down..._Miroku, what's the person saying?!_ Sango was extremely edgy and on the verge of shaking the crap out of the CEO. "Uhm, just a moment, please." Miroku covered up the mouthpiece of the phone and looked at Sango.

"Well, what is it?" Sango whispered almost violently.

"The lady says that Kohaku moved out of his apartment very early Thursday morning, left most of his furniture for the next tenant, and a message to his sister, which they weren't supposed to give to anyone else. She'll give you the message, she says, if you answer a question Kohaku wrote on the front to make sure it was you," Miroku explained, and Sango hastily swiped the phone from him.

"Yes? Yes, this is Sango..." She listened to the question carefully, biting on her thumbnail. "That happened at the Fourth of July picnic we had last year...that's right, isn't it?" Listening intently, Sango took in her brother's message. "Okay, thank you very much...No, no, I'm sure he's fine...Yes, thank you...Good-bye." Hanging up the phone, Sango took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but the tears were making paths down her cheeks anyway.

"Sango? What was the message?" Miroku quietly asked, taking her hands into his. Sango hiccupped a few times, but finally managed to relax. Miroku handed her the handkerchief again, and she dabbed at the wetness on her cheeks.

"He said that I shouldn't look for him because I might get into trouble, but that he would be able to call me again once things settled down. He said not to worry, and that he loved me," Sango croaked out, covering her eyes with the handkerchief. Miroku rolled Sango's chair towards his, tucking her knees between his thighs as he leaned forward to hug her. Smoothing his hand over her hair, Miroku tried to say comforting things, but Sango only continued to cry. A few minutes went by, and Sango finally pulled the handkerchief away from her eyes to wrap her arms around Miroku's waist.

"Do you want to talk to the police anyway?" Miroku asked, hearing that Sango was close to being done crying. He felt Sango shake her head in the negative against his shoulder. "Why not? Afraid something will happen to Kohaku?" She nodded her head in the positive, sniffing once and then letting out a tired breath. Waiting another minute, Miroku's left arm was draped around Sango's back while the other was draped around her shoulders. Feeling her pull back from him, Miroku took his arms away and held her shoulders in his palms. Sango's eyes were a bit red, but she looked calmer. Sango looked to her left and reached for a tissue, blowing her nose daintily. Miroku continued to attempt to comfort her, his hands on her knees.

"Mr. Houshi," Sango said as she tossed the tissue into a garbage can. "Where do you think you're putting your hands?" Miroku's shoulders slumped, and he pulled his arms back as he leaned away from Sango.

"What are you going to do then?" Miroku said, looking at the phone without seeing it. Sango suddenly felt bad for reprimanding Miroku. _Sure, his hands were on my knees, but it wasn't like he was pushing them apart...his mind probably wasn't even on that at the moment. We have kissed after all...he's allowed a little bit of intimacy, isn't he? Why am I so...skittish around him? I'm 24-years-old and...still untouched by a man. Isn't that a bad thing by the time a girl gets to my age?_ Sango squeezed one of Miroku's knees, which were still sandwiched around Sango's knees. Miroku tiredly looked at her, inwardly surprised that her complexion had already returned to normal.

"I...I think I know what I'm going to do. Thank you, Miroku, for helping me," Sango said, smiling softly. He really had been there for her when she had been in the midst of a crisis—and she had thought of his help as his way of copping a feel. Well, there was definitely a reward in store for him, and Sango turned to see if the door to her office was closed.

"Well, I should be on my way, I suppose," Miroku said, starting to get up. Sango, seeing her door still open, whipped her head around and seized Miroku's shoulders, sitting him back down.

"Stay right there, just a second..." Sango said, standing up. She walked quickly to the door, shutting it and turning the lock silently. Flipping on the desk lamp, Miroku turned questioning eyes to her.

"What's this about? A secret plan or something?" he joked, setting his elbows on his knees. Sango grabbed two more tissues and knelt in front of Miroku's chair. Miroku's eyebrows came together in confusion, but Sango ignored his expression and pushed his chest back.

"Sit closer to the edge of the chair," Sango said softly, unbuckling his belt and searching for the button to his slacks. Miroku's mouth was wide open in disbelief.

"S—Sango...you don't have to," he hoarsely said, though Sango dryly noted that he did scoot further out on the chair. She looked up into his eyes as she pulled the zipper down over a quickly growing bulge.

"Think of it as a taste of what's to come for you in the future," she said, snaking her hand into his pants to find the opening to his boxers. Miroku made a noise that was half-groan, half-gasp from the back of his throat upon hearing her and feeling her hand find the arousal inside his clothing. His hands were gripping the arms of the office chair as if the world were about to explode. Sango carefully revealed his arousal, having never seen one this close. She knew what to do, just not how..._I guess he'll have to let me know if I'm not doing this right._ Taking a quick peek at Miroku, he was watching her with glazed eyes, and his jaw was clenched tightly.

She bent her head then, and took the head of his arousal into her mouth, pulling her lips over the tip. A pained sound reverberated inside Miroku's mouth, and Sango glanced up worriedly.

"It's g-good, keep going," Miroku said thickly. Sango breathed a sigh of relief and did the same thing again, which got Miroku making that same noise. _Okay, so that's the noise I want..._ Experimenting with her tongue and lips, Sango managed to get that sound pretty loud.

Miroku was in heaven. The girl he had been chasing for a year and a half was finally opening up to him, and then she springs this on him. He couldn't remember ever being this excited sexually, and was only holding himself back because he wanted to prolong the moment. It was getting fairly difficult, though, and Miroku felt his control slipping away.

"Uhhn...Sango," Miroku groaned, his hand riding the back of her head. Sango could hear Miroku's heavy breathing, and guessed that he was going to climax soon. Placing her lips as far down his length as she could go, Sango tightened her mouth, sucking gently as she pulled up. That's when she heard Miroku gasp. His seed emptied into her mouth, and Sango reached down to find the tissues she had placed on her lap. Releasing him from her mouth, Sango discreetly used the tissues before looking up at Miroku. Sango saw that his head had rolled back over the edge of the chair, and he was taking deep breaths.

"It was okay, right?" Sango quietly asked, sitting back on her heels. Miroku brought his head back up, looking incredulous. _God, Sango...you can't know how badly I've wanted you to do just that._

"It was more than okay, Sango," he said, reaching down to adjust his clothing properly. "I...I haven't felt that good in a long time," he finally admitted. Deciding to go a bit further, Miroku added, "I haven't felt that good in eighteen months, to be exact." Sango's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. _He hasn't dated another woman since he met me...he hasn't even had a one-night fling._ Her mouth slowly closed again, and Miroku leaned forward to hold her face in his hands.

"I'm glad," Sango sighed, feeling her chest tighten. Miroku set his forehead against hers, and Sango held his wrists loosely.

"Does this mean we can finally go steady?" he teased, which drew a bubble of laughter out of Sango. Agreeing with him, Sango closed her eyes and brushed her thumbs against the backs of his hands. To seal their new relationship, Miroku pressed a chaste kiss to Sango's lips.

_-Floor Seventy-One-_

Jaken began to sort through Mr. Sesshou's mail, throwing out the junk mail. His shoulders stiffened when Mr. Sesshou and Ms. Tsubaki, who annoyingly insisted that he call her Rin, walked into the office a few minutes after eight. _Hmph! They think I don't notice! It's not like I haven't seen the change in Mr. Sesshou...and it's not like their office walls are soundproof. Disgusting!_ Jaken knew it wasn't his place to say anything, but he planned to hint to Rin that their little interludes in each other's offices weren't secret from him.

Rin walked into her office and set her things down when the phone rang. Picking up the receiver, Rin shut the blinds to her office as she greeted the caller.

"Hello, it's me again," the voice answered. It was definitely a man, but Rin scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"It's who? I'm sorry, but I don't recognize your voice."

"Me, the one who called a couple of days ago. I had complimented your breasts?" Rin blanched, and was about to tell the guy off when he continued. "Well, I finally got a glimpse of all of you. Granted, your boss's body was in the way half the time, and then you two went into another room, but still, it's a very nice body."

"Y-you saw us in my apartment? B-but I live on the t-twenty-second floor!"

"Oh, I'll do just about anything to get little glimpses of you. You're my property...you know that, don't you?" the voice growled into the phone. Rin's legs gave out, and she was on her knees next to the desk before she even knew what had happened.

"Onigumo? Y-y-you were spying on me? H-how dare you! I don't belong to you! Leave me alone! I'll see whoever I want to see!" Rin yelled into the phone. She saw Maru run into the room out of the corner of her eye, but tried to pay attention to what Onigumo was saying.

"It looks to me like you're doing more than seeing your boss, Rin. You little slut...I ought to make you pay for cheating on me, but I would never hurt you. In fact, a good fuck like you deserves a guy like me...and I would fuck you good, my little slut. I'll just have to hurt him—besides, I already warned him not to touch my property. And furthermore—" Rin cut him off before he could go on, clutching the phone as if it were Onigumo's neck.

"You stay away from him! I let him touch me because I love him! You're no better than a rapist! Not even Kagura stayed with you for long, did she? I heard she left you after she heard about what you did to me!" Rin felt Maru place his hands on her shoulders, gently squeezing them.

"Heh, Kagura was getting old on me, anyway. It's more fun when they try to resist. You just were playing along, weren't you Rin? You just like it rough, don't you? You like it when I fuck you that hard..." Rin began to cry, and was only able to get out a few more words before Maru took the phone from her.

"J-just stop it! Leave me alone..." Having turned Rin around, Maru held her to his chest as he knelt on the floor. Putting the phone to his ear, he listened to Onigumo's next words, "I can't leave you alone, Rin. I want to feel that body resisting me again." Maru's face twisted in anger, and he fought to make his voice sound cool as he said,

"This line is tapped, Onigumo. It may not stand up in court, but it's enough for a warrant to search all of your premises, including that mob front you've got in Brooklyn. Thanks for calling." Hanging up the phone despite the yelling on the other side, Maru checked the cell phone clipped to his belt to make sure it was on before giving Rin a hug to calm her down.

"Uhm, Mr. Sesshou?" Turning to see Jaken standing at the door, Maru asked what he wanted. "Is everything alright? Do you need me to do anything?"

"Well, everything isn't fine, but you don't need to do anything. I'll take care of it." Maru unconsciously held Rin tighter when saying the last sentence, and watched Jaken close Rin's office door behind him. Before Maru could say anything to Rin, his cell phone rang.

"It's Seikai. We're going to be playing the recording to a judge in about five minutes, and we have men waiting near the restaurant for when we get the warrant. Hopefully, something will be in there. I'll call back in twenty minutes." Before Maru could say anything, the detective hung up. Ending the call, Maru clipped the phone to his belt again. Relaying the information to Rin, who still had her face hidden against his neck, he felt her nod, and wrapped his arms around her again. Standing up, he brought Rin to her feet, and put her arm's length away from him.

"The phone was tapped?" Rin asked, having been distracted slightly from the conversation she just had with Onigumo.

"Well, I didn't want to tell you since it might have made you nervous. I had asked Detective Seikai to do it ever since I came into your office the other day. Remember? You were holding the phone and looked like you had seen a ghost." Rin nodded slowly, looking down at the suspenders on his chest. Suddenly remembering what Maru had said to Onigumo, she looked up at Maru again.

"If they find something at the restaurant, will they arrest Onigumo?" Maru took a tissue from her desk and wiped away the tears on her cheeks as he replied,

"He owns the place, so they have to arrest him most directly. If they can find him, that is." Rin's eyes widened at this, and she reached forward to hold his suspender straps in her hands.

"What do we do if they can't find him?" Maru cupped her jaw in one hand, and held one of her wrists with the other.

"Don't worry about it. The police won't let him anywhere near you. I won't let him near you," Maru reassured her. Rin's grip on him lessened.

"That's what I'm worried about," she whispered. Maru's face changed at that, and he ran his hand along the outside of her arm to the back of her shoulder.

"Rin..." Pulling her to him, Maru set his lips on hers, gently probing them with his tongue. Rin's arms went up to wrap around his neck, and she opened her mouth wider. The kiss that made Rin's knees weak—the therapeutic kiss of the man of her dreams—was the kiss Maru gave her. Rin could feel her heart thumping inside her chest, and pressed closer to Maru in an attempt to feel his heartbeat. Finally breaking the kiss after a moment, Maru somewhat breathlessly asked if Rin wanted to wait for Detective Seikai's phone call. Nodding, Rin said,

"We'll just finish up the cash flows data from yesterday." Glancing at the clock first, Maru watched Rin power up her laptop as she stood on the other side of the desk. 8:22. _Let's hope Seikai pulls through for us._

_-Floor Fourteen-_

Miroku had Sango sitting on the desk. He was standing between her knees, but doing nothing more than gently kissing the side of her neck with both of his arms squeezing her torso against him. Nuzzling aside the neck of her white blouse, Miroku used his teeth to pull the bra strap he found to the side just an inch or so. Then molding his lips to her collarbone, Miroku gently sucked on her skin, bruising that single spot as if giving her the CEO's Seal of Approval.

"Miroku...you're going to give me a hickey if you keep doing that," Sango purred as she rested her cheek on Miroku's shoulder. Miroku didn't respond, obviously, since his mouth was busy with other tasks, but he hugged her a bit tighter. Sango was enjoying Miroku's affections to no end, and was feeling more feminine than she had ever felt in her life up to this point. Taking his lips away from Sango's skin, Miroku gave the spot one last lick before pulling the bra strap back over her shoulder and hiding the new love mark with the collar of her blouse. Putting his arm back around Sango's waist, Miroku set his cheek against Sango's.

"That's the idea. I'm going to make love to you before that mark disappears," he quietly said. Sango smiled and clamped her knees against his thighs. It was then that someone knocked at the door. Sango sighed, and Miroku let go of her, picking up his coat and briefcase. Walking to the door, Sango unlocked it as quietly as she could and opened the door. Someone in a nice suit, whom Sango had only seen once before now, was hopping from foot to foot holding his laptop. His hair was this odd shade of red, and his skin was pale with absolutely no freckles—surprising for a redhead.

"It said 'System Error' on this blue screen, and I didn't save my Excel file!" Sango led the young man into the back room, and Miroku headed out, brushing Sango's arm with the tips of his fingers as he left. Sango smiled inwardly, but set the laptop on the desk. Before Miroku shut the door behind him, he watched Sango for a few seconds.

"What's your name?" Sango asked as the computer turned on. The young man stuttered, but said,

"K-kitsune Shippou, miss. Will I be able to get that file again?" Sango began to flick her fingers over the keys, flipping through different setup screens. Shippou was still hopping from foot to foot. Smiling to himself, Miroku shut the door, and began his trek to the elevator, walking with a new spring in his step.


	7. Chapter 7

_-The Seventy-First Floor-_

At approximately 8:55 in the morning, the NYPD put out an arrest warrant for Aku Onigumo, A.K.A. Nara Ku, for fourteen counts of money laundering, four counts of assault, one count of murder, and three counts of grand theft, the evidence for which was found in his abandoned restaurant and apartment. Detective Seikai, lead detective for the organized crime division, headed up the sting operation. Though they searched for clues of Aku Onigumo's whereabouts, the mobster was nowhere to be found, and a third police officer was assigned to watch Rin and Maru until he was arrested. Detective Seikai called Maru around nine o'clock, informing him that they had found evidence against Onigumo, but not Onigumo himself. Rin, of course, was ready to break her laptop knowing that Onigumo was still out in the streets, but after Maru handed her the cell phone, Seikai assured Rin that they would find him very soon.

When it was time to head out for lunch with Yasha and his wife, the security guards in the main lobby, in addition to the two police officers keeping watch, had their eyes peeled for signs of any trouble from the suits in the lobby, all on their way to grab some midday grub. Maru and Rin slid into the stretch limousine and had just settled in their seats when Yasha spoke up, not wasting any time with formalities.

"What's going on, Maru? Myouga tells me that you've had trouble with the mob," Yasha burst out, gesturing wildly to the limo driver just now getting into the front seat. Kagome put a hand on his arm, forcing him to sit back against the seat.

"Mouuu! Yasha, your temper will get the better of you someday!" Her half-angry glare turned into a smile very quickly, though. "It's a good thing I'm here to make sure you heel," Kagome laughed out, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm sure Maru will explain everything to you, but you don't have to yell." Yasha made a pouty face, his cheeks lightly tinged with red.

"I told you not to say anything about that!" Yasha grumbled, which got one of Maru's eyebrows to shoot upwards in curiosity. Kagome smiled, rubbing her fingers over the nape of Yasha's neck, which got Yasha squirming in his seat... _And not from being shy_, if Rin's guess was right. Maru was about to say something when Kagome spoke,

"If you don't mind, Maru, we're going to pick up my grandfather for lunch. I haven't seen him for a few months, and I'd like to visit with him. He's a very nice person, I assure you." Duly distracted from Yasha's vague comment, Maru merely nodded. Feeling Rin's hand slip into his, it was Maru's turn to feel a bit uncomfortable in front of his brother. Of course, Yasha didn't miss the subtle display of affection, and smirked at his older brother. Maru cleared his throat.

"Onigumo has made threats upon my safety due to the fact that I'm dating his ex-girlfriend. When he first began stalking us, Detective Seikai came in, tapping our phones and keeping police surveillance on our place of business and home. It was only a matter of time before Onigumo let something slip that would give Seikai an excuse to search his property." Yasha and Kagome had immediately looked at Rin when Maru said "ex-girlfriend," and obviously wanted to know why Rin had been dating a mobster. They were about to be disappointed. "After that, the details are none of your business, Yasha."

Yasha was obviously about to argue the point when they pulled over in front of another office building, which contained a television station for the New York area. Myouga hopped out and ran around to the curbside door, opening it for an old man with a cane. He had a small, pointed beard, a trimmed moustache, and was sporting quite an expensive Armani suit. With some help from Yasha and Maru, the old man finally made it into the limousine, sitting down with a huff.

"Good morning, grandfather!" Kagome happily gushed, leaning across Yasha to hug the old man. Rin noted with amusement that Yasha's cheeks blushed a bit when the left side Kagome's chest was pressed to his shoulder as Kagome embraced her grandfather. The old man returned the hug, "hoho"-ing like all old men should.

"It's good to see you, Kagome! Is this brat of a grandson-in-law treating you well?" he asked. Kagome merely giggled, but Yasha shot him a dirty look. Maru was obviously trying to hide a smile. Rin wasn't even trying, and was close to laughing as she rubbed her thumb over Maru's hand.

"Jii-chan! Yasha is the perfect husband! You have nothing to worry about," Kagome laughed out, earning a wheezing guffaw from Jii-chan. He rapped his cane on the roof of the limousine, telling Myouga to drive them to the restaurant.

"We need a girl to do a quick commercial for the TV station, Kagome. I told them that my granddaughter would be perfect! Actress material!" Jii-chan shouted, his wheezy voice "hoho"-ing after every single sentence. Maru had an odd look on his face: half-incredulity and half-amusement. Rin just out and out laughed. Yasha gave the two financial analysts a glare, and Kagome's mouth twisted in frustration.

"Jii-chan! How many times do I have to tell you to stop finding jobs for me? I'm perfectly happy teaching! I quit acting when I was in tenth grade! Mouuu! Always interfering!" Kagome crossed her arms and huffed, leaning into Yasha's shoulder. Her grandfather merely spluttered, waving his cane around in an attempt to look important.

"What's wrong with a little side job? I remember you liked acting! You never should have quit!" Jii-chan said, smacking the bottom of his cane on the floor of the limousine. He came close to hitting Maru's foot, so Maru moved his feet away from the old man's reach, which pressed his thigh tightly against Rin's.

"Acting had no future, Jii-chan! I really wasn't that good, and I like teaching more, anyway! Oh, boy...how many times are we going to discuss this?" Kagome complained. Her grandfather seemed to settle down and drop the subject. It was then that Yasha remembered what he wanted to ask Maru.

"Don't think for a second that you can drop this whole matter, Maru. Why was Rin dating someone like that?" Yasha quite calmly said, having crossed his arms and looking as downtrodden as Kagome. Rin's smile wavered, and she answered before Maru could.

"It was back in college when I barely knew him, Yasha. We went out for a few months, then broke it off." Rin obviously left out the gruesome details, but it was for Kagome and her grandfather's sakes. "He just seems to have a problem letting go." Yasha made a sort of angry noise, but then said,

"I'll say. If you or Maru need a place to stay, Kagome and I have room." Kagome smiled at his generosity, and Jii-chan just sat there with a stumped look on his face, which showed he was not happy with being the outsider to the conversation. Maru bristled a bit under the offer for assistance, but the thumb brushing against his hand was enough to keep him from biting out a mean remark. He nodded, turning to look out the window.

_-The Parking Garage, 5:00pm-_

After the officer escorted them to Maru's Corolla, he made sure they were in the car before leaving to head back to the police station. Inside, Rin set her purse down on the floor of the passenger side, locking her door. Maru was about to start the car when Rin said,

"I'm sorry, Maru, for getting you involved in this." Her voice sounded so humble that Maru took his hand from the ignition and turned her face up to him. He could see the tears shimmering in her eyes, and brought his mouth close to hers.

"Don't apologize for him," Maru fervently said. Rin's hands were clutching the armrest, finding it hard to keep from breaking down once again. The scene of how Maru looked above her when they first made love flashed into Rin's mind, and she pushed away the helplessness she was feeling. _I have the man of my dreams with me...I'm not so helpless as I think._ She took a deep breath and let it out, blinking away the excess moisture.

"Thanks." Leaning up, she pressed her lips against his. At first, Rin gently moved her mouth over his, sliding her tongue out to trace the seam of his lips. Then, Maru slid his hand to the back of her head, deepening the kiss. He lifted one hand to grip her right arm, pulling her closer. Plundering Rin's mouth for the sweet treasure inside, Maru held her mouth against his, forcing it wide open with his thumb on her chin to let his tongue dip inside. The kiss only lasted perhaps a minute at the most, but both were breathing as if it had lasted for ten. Ending their passionate little interlude, Maru leaned back slightly to get his senses away from the perfume she wore, which was making him delirious. Noticing the redness in her lips, and brushing his thumb over the bottom one, Sesshoumaru gave a short laugh.

"As much as I'd love to have you crawl over here and straddle my lap, we had better get out of this parking garage," he said, smiling softly. Rin blushed brightly and smiled, agreeing that they should leave, and turned to put her seatbelt on. When the window suddenly broke next to her, Rin screamed in fright, covering her face from the spraying glass. Maru jerked in his seat, reaching with his left hand to grab Rin's arm. He turned the key as someone's arm reached in to unlock Rin's door. Rin punched at the arm, but the man outside was persistent. The ignition turned over, and Maru put the car into reverse. The man was trying to open the door, but Rin was holding onto the door handle and punching the stomach in front of her through the broken window. Flooring it, Maru peeled out of the parking space, and that's when Rin heard the gunshots.

"Oh, God!" Ducking her head, all Rin could do was stop herself from screaming. She bit down hard on her lip, covering her head, and was vaguely aware that her hair had glass shards in it. Maru quite roughly threw the car into drive, squealing out of the parking garage and into the street, almost hitting a taxicab driving by in the nearest lane. The cab driver, of course, honked his horn and leaned out of the window to throw a few cuss words at Maru, but Maru just kept driving, taking the woman he loved away from danger. After they were eight blocks from the parking garage, Maru felt it safe to take out his cell phone, and dialed Seikai's number. Seikai's office phone didn't pick up, though, so he tried Seikai's beeper. Setting his cell phone in the cup holder for when Seikai returned his phone call, Maru looked to Rin and saw her still doubled over. Suddenly afraid that she had been shot, he pulled over in front of a Nantrak station.

"Rin! Rin, are you all right? Are you hurt?" Pulling her up to a sitting position, he didn't see blood anywhere on her clothing, but her bottom lip was bleeding. Either it had been glass, or Rin had been so afraid that she had punctured her own lip with her teeth. Reaching to the backseat, he pulled a few tissues out of a box, bringing them up to dab at the blood oozing from Rin's lip. A few tears had made tracks on her face, but she wasn't nearly as shaken up as he might have thought. "Rin...please say something," he demanded, holding her jaw in one hand. She seemed to choke on a sob, but instead of a sad face, she suddenly smiled cheerfully at him and threw her arms around his shoulders.

"You saved me, Maru! Thank you! Thank you..." Rin praised, squeezing him tightly. He rubbed his hand over her spine, whispering comforting words to her. Thanking the powers that be for the attacker's bad aim with a gun, he held her tighter to him, ignoring the old lady that was sitting on the steps of the station and throwing breadcrumbs at the pigeons. He released her from his hold, brushing the glass shards out of her hair and off of the seat. She put her seatbelt on properly, holding a tissue to her injured lip.

"We'll go to the police station to make a report, and then I should take my car to a shop to get that window fixed," Maru decided, putting the car into drive again. Rin nodded, gently touching the tip of her finger to her lip. They drove in silence to the police station seven blocks further away from the Nantrak station, both lost in their own thoughts. _Maru is going to too much trouble for me. Am I a huge weight on him? I bet he wishes that he had never met me._ Testing her lip to see if it had stopped bleeding, Rin busied herself with picking up glass shards after finding that it had.

_How can Rin be calm after all of this? She came to a new city all by herself...no parents, no friends...she was stalked by a crazy ex-boyfriend with enough power in New York to put me in the morgue, and yet, she still loves me. She's still here, and is even picking up the broken pieces of my car window._ In a display of affection, Maru rubbed his palm against Rin's back. She was suddenly glad that her face was not very visible to Maru since she was looking down at the floorboard of the passenger side, looking for glass, because the fact that his hand was there on her back was more comforting than anything else right now.

Both jerked in surprise when Maru's cell phone, still sitting in the cup holder, rang loudly inside the silent car. Only two blocks away from the police station, Maru picked up the phone, pushing the 'send' button and greeting the caller. He turned the corner, headed to a parking space along the right side of the street.

"Yeah, Rin and I were in my car leaving this afternoon, and someone tried to break into Rin's side by smashing the window. We managed to get out of there, even though the guy started shooting at us," Maru explained while Rin watched the subtle play of expressions move over his features. Parallel parking into a spot with one try, Maru put the cark into park and listened to Seikai as he unbuckled his seatbelt with one hand. Rin took hers off as well, having gathered the largest glass shards in her jacket. She brought her purse up to her lap, waiting for Maru.

"Yes...that's fine. We'll be at Red's at 6:30...yeah, thanks." Ending the call, Maru slid his phone into a pocket and opened his door, telling Rin it was time to go inside. Rin gingerly opened her door, sliding out and carefully handling her jacket until she could find a trash can. The two walked to the station half a block down the street, dumping the glass shards into a garbage can sitting outside the station's steps. Maru then offered her his arm, leading her inside.

_-Red's Car Repair-_

After filing an official police report, something they could use to help with getting the damage to Maru's car repaired when calling the insurance company, the two drove to Red's, a car repair shop tucked away in the city's business section. The owner, Red (of course), was actually an older woman who absolutely loved cars, or anything else that had an engine. Stout, a bit wizen, with a patch over one eye after a freak radiator accident, Red was a gruff, honest woman. She was named for her red mechanic suit that she always wore, but her best customers and staff knew her real name to be Kaede. As Maru pulled into her main garage, a huge room, she walked over from another car where a younger mechanic was fiddling with something in the engine. Wiping her hands on a rag and then stuffing it into her back pocket, Red shook her head upon seeing Maru's sleek black Corolla come in looking so banged up.

"What did you do to it? Before, all you came in for was oil changes and tire alignments, and now look at it!" Red huffed, crossing her arms. Maru turned off the car, stepping out with his coat and briefcase in tow.

"Ah, sorry, Red. Someone thought my window needed washing and was just overzealous about it," Maru joked, earning a loud cackle from the mechanic. She drew up some paperwork for him at a dirty metal desk in an office located up a rickety flight of stairs. Looking out the dirty windows into the garage area below, Rin watched as two mechanics pulled out tools unknown to her and began to work with the passenger-side door of Maru's car. After Maru hung up the phone, having spoken with his insurance agent, Red gave him a paper to sign for the repair costs. Rin saw a couple of cops arrive downstairs, and assumed it was their ride home—_Better than any taxi_, Rin thought.

Maru thanked Red, shaking hands with her despite the dirt that was probably on them. He waved farewell and escorted Rin down the rickety stairs, calling a greeting to the two officers that were watching the mechanics go about their work. Thankfully, they didn't talk too long, and Rin was on her way up to the twenty-second floor of their apartment building about twenty minutes later. Maru walked her to her apartment door, asking her to stop by for dinner later, and dropped a quick, light kiss onto her sore lips before walking down to his own apartment. Rin made her way into her apartment, kicking off her high heel shoes and setting her briefcase and purse on the coffee table. Glad for the police surveillance in the lobby downstairs as well as the outside street, Rin simply closed the curtains of her balcony to make sure no one was watching and flopped down on the couch, exhausted physically and mentally from the day's adventure. Quite graciously, Miroku told Maru and Rin that they didn't have to come into work until the crisis was resolved, but not wanting to start off on the wrong foot in her new job, Rin had decided to continuing going to work anyway, which prompted Maru to do the same.

Knowing she needed a shower, Rin rolled off of the couch, pushing up to her feet. She didn't linger in the shower, but made sure to use her special-smelling conditioner. Toweling herself off and dressing in loose clothing, Rin blow-dried her hair, leaving it down. Spraying on her favorite perfume, she checked to see that everything looked fine, and grabbed her apartment keys off of the coffee table. Leaving all the lights off except for the entry light near her front door, Rin turned the knob, and opened the door.

_-Somewhere in Manhattan-_

"Mouuu! Just like a man! You don't know when to ask for directions, and you don't ever read the directions, either!" Sango scolded as she scraped the last of the spoiled cookie dough into the trash. Miroku stood in her kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck with red-tinged cheeks. Sango took the bowl to her sink, filling it with hot water and mixing in a few drops of liquid soap.

"I just grabbed the wrong spice, that's all! I didn't mean to put garlic in the mix!" Miroku whined, sounding like he was the victimized one. Sango, her anger suddenly gone when she realized the humor of the situation, began laughing down at the bowl full of soapsuds. Miroku looked over at Sango with a crestfallen look on his face, which got Sango laughing even harder.

"M—Miroku! If you could only...only see...the look on your face!" Sango said, leaning on the sink's rim and giggling like a schoolgirl. Miroku then look exasperated, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the counter. Sango managed to calm herself down somewhat, but snickered to herself once in a while as she rinsed the mixing bowl. Miroku was inwardly delighted to see Sango laughing again after what had happened that day. Even if it was for only a couple of minutes, Miroku wanted Sango to push the worry of her brother's safety to the side so that she didn't make herself go crazy.

"So are we going to try again?" Miroku asked petulantly, feigning a bruised pride. Sango was drying off the bowl, and turned to look at Miroku, deducing whether or not he was being serious. She set the bowl down on the counter, flipping the dishtowel over her shoulder.

"Well, we could, but I don't have any extra eggs. We could go buy some, but personally, I don't want to go out anymore tonight." She turned to pick up the bowl, opening a cupboard in the corner of the kitchen to put it away. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Sango gasped and clutched the bowl to her chest. Turning her head slightly to see Miroku with a questioning look on his face, Sango breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh! You scared me...I thought you were still on the other side of the kitchen." She put the bowl into the cupboard, closing the door to it, and was about to walk past Miroku to the sink to finish cleaning when she found her way blocked by an arm. Miroku had pinned her in the corner of the kitchen, and Sango leaned a bit away from him over the counter behind her. Shyly looking up at Miroku's face, Sango's heart decided to beat inside her throat instead of her chest when she saw his heavy-lidded gaze boring into her. Sango didn't push him away, though. She stood there, hoping he would make the first move.

Miroku brought a hand off the counter, slowly sliding his fingers up her arm, and holding Sango's gaze in silence. Sango almost wanted to break the tension, but as much as she loved it, she remained quiet. She was wearing a short sleeve T-shirt that she liked to wear when doing chores. It said, 'Can you kick _my_ ass?' and had a picture of Mr. T looking quite angry. A draft hit her legs from the A/C that had kicked on in the last minute, and despite the blush on her cheeks, Sango's legs were chilled since she was wearing shorts. Miroku, as dashing as always, was wearing a dark blue polo shirt and black slacks, but was sockless in his dark brown loafers. Once Miroku's fingers had reached the crook of Sango's neck, he pulled the collar of her T-shirt to the side, finding the bruise he had left there earlier that morning. Although it was still there, it was obviously fading, and Miroku's eyes drifted back up to Sango's anxious stare.

"I'm running out of time to fulfill my promise, Sango," he said, his voice caressing her name as if it were his hands on her body. Sango shivered, pressing her fisted hands to her chest. As if in a daze, Sango watched as Miroku pressed his body against hers, and brought his mouth down to her level. His arms wrapped themselves around her torso, pinning her hands in between them. Sango could feel the hardness of Miroku's chest underneath her forearms, and tilted her head up to catch the kiss falling down to her. He kept the kiss shallow at first, sliding his lips against Sango's and then suckling at the flesh of her lower lip until he could feel her squirming inside his arms. When his hold on her loosened somewhat, Sango made a small noise, though whether it was a noise of pleasure or protest, Miroku couldn't tell. Tugging at her elbows, Miroku pulled Sango's fists away from her chest, bringing her arms up to twine around his neck. Then holding her close again and feeling her full breasts pressing against his chest, Miroku moaned into the open-mouthed kiss Sango pressed upon him.

When Sango felt a unique and unmistakable hardness pressed against her lower abdomen, she reveled in the fact that it was for her that Miroku was excited, and curled her body closer to that hardness, which got a second, more desperate moan out of the CEO currently pinning her against the kitchen counter. Playing with the little dragon tail of Miroku's soft hair, Sango brought one hand down Miroku's shoulder to his chest to rub circles around the hard nub pressing against the cloth of his shirt. When Miroku's arms dropped down and his hands firmly grasped her rear end, Sango pulled back from the kiss, which had been turning into something almost pagan.

"Miroku...I've been waiting for twenty-four years...don't make me wait any more," Sango breathlessly said, sliding an arm around his ribcage while the other took a fistful of Miroku's hair. Miroku gave a relieved laugh, sensing the irony in Sango's statement. He turned her body and lifted her up, bearing her out of the kitchen and straight to her bedroom, the location of which he had memorized upon entering Sango's apartment. Her bedroom was small with the queen-sized bed taking up a third of the space, but the light from a neon sign across the street was giving their skin a golden glow, and Miroku looked down at Sango's trusting face for a moment. Then taking the hem of her shirt in his hands, he pulled up and removed it, letting it drop to the floor. Setting his warm hands in the curve of her waist, Miroku slid them back to find the clasp of her bra, unhooking it and watching how the contraption fell away from her golden skin. The only reaction Sango could see was Miroku's soft intake of breath, and she felt very self-conscious under his steady gaze. She brought her hands up to cover herself, but Miroku grasped at her wrists, opening her arms.

"Don't hide from me," he said gruffly. He looked at her unblemished skin, how her waist tapered perfectly into her faded shorts, and had to see more of it. Releasing her wrists and reaching forward, he slid a few fingers inside the waist of her shorts, pushing back at the button on top that slid out of its hole easily. Pulling the zipper down, he skimmed his fingers over Sango's hips and down her thighs to push the shorts down, and leaving Sango wearing only her tiny slip of underwear. Miroku's whole body suddenly felt hot, and he had to remove some clothing before he went any further or else he might burst into flame. Tugging his polo shirt over his head and tossing it at the floor, he watched Sango's reaction to seeing his naked chest for the first time. He saw her hands twitch, and almost smirked when he realized that she wanted to touch him, but his body was aching too badly. He put a hand in his pocket, pulling out a small packet, and tossed it onto Sango's well-made bed. Sango's eyes followed it, and Miroku had the feeling that if the room were better lit, he would have seen a blush steal over Sango's cheeks.

While she was distracted for a few seconds, Miroku unbuttoned his slacks, and reached forward to grab Sango's hand. She whipped her head back to him, coming closer as he pulled on her hand. Miroku set her fingers over the zipper tab, and Sango automatically drew it down with her jaw ajar due to the look on his face. Miroku's hips were narrow enough that his slacks simply fell from his hips once the tension from the zipper's hold released. Sango admired his choice of underwear, a pair of black boxer briefs that accentuated every muscle, but the bulge in front that attested to his desire made Sango look away, and her eyes landed on the condom sitting on her bed, which made her blush even harder. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Sango turned her head to look at Miroku again, only he was now entirely nude, having stripped himself of the constraining underwear. Fisting her hands at her sides, Sango's eyes roamed over the turgid length she had held earlier that day, wondering if it would even fit inside of her. Looking up at his eyes, she saw the silent plea in them, and her hands unconsciously smoothed up her own thighs to the legs of her underwear. She slipped her fingers underneath, pulling down the last vestige of clothing from her heated skin.

The two of them stood there in the soft golden glow of the room, both breathing shallowly and savoring the moment as each took in the sights the other had to offer. Surprisingly, Sango was the first to move, bringing both hands up to rub her palms against his chest, distending his male nipples and drawing a satisfied sigh from Miroku. His hands molded themselves around her breasts, testing their weight and texture as his thumbs brushed over their responsive peaks. Moving toward each other and becoming bolder with each caress, they stood close, rubbing the sensitive areas and sharing hot open-mouthed kisses. Sango could feel Miroku's arousal against her stomach, and the warm, hard length was making her nearly delirious with excitement.

"S—Sango..." Miroku sighed, stiff with desire as her hands moved over his stomach and hips. She made a small noise again, and pulled his hips towards her as she moved to the bed. Curling her arms around his neck, Sango bent her knees, bringing Miroku down upon her as they hit the mattress. Miroku pushed a hand underneath Sango's back, lifting her a bit and pulling her to the center of the bed. He wedged his knee between hers, hinting for her to spread her thighs apart so that he could settle between them. With Miroku lying over her, pressing her deliciously into the mattress below, Sango moaned into his intense kiss. Miroku slanted his lips and tongue over her mouth, tasting the natural sweetness inside. Before too long, though, all the sensations were too much, and Miroku had to bring himself arm's length away from Sango to catch his breath.

"Miroku...please...I—" Sango began, not sure of how to word what she wanted to say. "I want you inside me...please." A desperate look came over Miroku's face in the golden light of the room, and he sat back on his knees between her thighs, reaching over to find the packet he had tossed onto the bed. Tearing it open and rolling on the contraceptive, Miroku looked to Sango, and saw the same desire he felt reflected in her eyes. Crawling back over her body and settling his pelvis down against hers, Miroku clenched his jaw muscles, feeling tight with exhilaration. Sango brought her legs up to wrap around Miroku's waist, which opened up her hips.

"Sango, before...before we do this, I have to say something," Miroku began, his voice harsh and barely above a whisper. Sango's eyes fluttered open, and her face turned questioning. "I love you, Sango," Miroku fiercely uttered, looking straight into Sango's lustful brown eyes, which widened in surprise. She looked touched, but said nothing, and only pulled his head down to kiss her. Miroku was feeling halfway devastated that Sango had not said anything in return, but the fact that she was squeezing her thighs around his hips, still wanting to make love, made him hope that she would say it soon.

Sliding his hand between her sleek thighs, Miroku found the place where he wanted to be the most, and probed around to find her delicate lips, opening them gently and swiveling his hips to position himself at her entrance. Feeling Sango stiffen underneath him in either anxiety or anticipation, Miroku looked up at Sango's face. She nodded, smoothing one hand up to hold the side of his face as he pushed into her body. Like a warm, slick fist, Sango's body was tight, and Miroku slowly loosened the muscles as he pressed inside. Meeting an obvious barrier, he stared at Sango in surprise and felt a blooming sense of exaltation in knowing that he was her first. He hadn't thought that she was serious earlier about having waited twenty-four years, but it was obvious now that Sango had been telling the truth. He pushed at the barrier gently, stopping when Sango hissed in pain, and pushing again when she relaxed. After a few minutes of pushing and waiting, he pushed one last time, certain that the barrier was almost broken, and felt the way open up in front of his arousal. Squeezing in to the base of his length, Miroku heard Sango's husky voice,

"Finally..." He would have smiled, but the clutch of her muscles around him was incredibly distracting. Sango adjusted her legs around Miroku's waist, and held onto his shoulders as both waited for the last little dose of discomfort to leave Sango's muscles. Not expecting that Miroku's manhood would give her such a feeling of fullness, of being stretched exquisitely, Sango did feel pleasure at having him completely inside her body despite the discomfort that rending her hymen had brought. She knew that the sensation this first time would not be all pleasure, but was determined to meet her climax with Miroku no matter what. Ready to continue, Sango whispered up to Miroku's strained face, "Make love to me, Miroku." Hearing a choked groan rumble out of his mouth, Sango unevenly sighed as he pulled back, creating the most heavenly friction. Miroku had been propped away from Sango on his hands for the first thrust, but lowered himself to his forearms as he prepared to thrust in again. Sango slid her hands over his shoulders to his back as he lied down more fully upon her, rubbing the muscles underneath.

"I wish I could take you roughly, Sango," Miroku groaned, pushing into the tight heat of her body again. Sango pressed her lips together as he slid against something very sensitive, and a soft cry broke out from her lips as he hit home again. She understood exactly what he meant, but was glad for his control or else her resolve to find climax with him might be shattered. Giving him a bit of compromise, Sango pushed his head down towards the bed more, and pulled on his earlobe with her lips.

"Go a bit faster then," she whispered. "I just want to feel you inside me, Miroku." He made the same choked groan as before, having lost a little more of his control. He began a steady pace, and hid his face in the crook of her neck as he let his physical senses cloud his mind. Sango's fingers were making imprints in Miroku's back as he slid against that sensitive spot over and over again, creating a wonderful warmth that pooled in her belly. Hearing Miroku's pleasure-filled groans and sighs as he moved in and out of her body, she only felt more aroused. He could hear the carnal sounds that she was making, too, and clenched his jaw tight when a particularly intense shock of sensation tightened his manhood. _Not yet...not yet._

"Uhhhnn..._harder_," she softly begged. _I'm so close. I can feel it._ Hearing Miroku's harsh cry muffled against her neck and shoulder, she gasped in bliss when he readily complied with her wishes, hitting home with force. Feeling like the tingly sensation that was building up would die away if Miroku did anything different, Sango encouraged him, whispering into his ear.

When it felt as if a single dense muscle in her lower abdomen contracted, pulling everything else in her body towards it, Sango made a strangled sound and dug her fingers into Miroku's back. Grateful beyond belief that Sango had finally orgasmed, Miroku shoved forward one last time, and let his body take over as he groaned loudly into the bedspread next to Sango's head. _Sango..._

Though Miroku's full weight was now pressing her down into the mattress, Sango didn't want him to move at all. _That felt so good...why did I wait a year and a half for this?_ Nuzzling Miroku's ear next to her, Sango held him as he tried to catch his breath. Recalling the past twenty minutes, Sango quietly pondered Miroku's declaration of love. She had seen the movies, read the books..._had he only said it because of the mood?_ She honestly felt that he hadn't. She had already decided to give him her body, so he had not needed to put forth more effort. And wasn't the mood they had shared actually one of the best moods for doing such a thing? She trusted him, and came to believe that he had not lied. He really did love her. Feeling tears pooling over her eyes, Sango shut her lids to keep the moisture inside.

Miroku, feeling dead tired but still feeling the best he had ever felt in his whole life, was about to lift his weight off of Sango when he heard a soft, shaky voice,

"I love you, too." His eyes popped open, and his brows drew together in happiness. Bringing his head up, he looked down into her eyes, which shined in the golden light from the neon sign. She smiled at him, and he grinned boyishly. Their bodies silhouetted against the window, he leaned down again, lightly pressing his lips to hers. _This was definitely worth the wait._


	8. Chapter 8

_-Dinnertime-_

Opening the front door, Rin stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her and locking it. Holding her ring of keys in her palm, she took a deep breath as she walked, trying to clear her mind of the day's troubles._Hopefully Seikai is slapping the cuffs on Onigumo right now._ Arriving at Maru's door, Rin knocked, waiting for him to open the door. When no one came, Rin knocked harder, already imagining the worst. Hearing footsteps on the other side of the door, Rin's heart calmed down, and she put a smile on her face for when he opened the door. The front door swung inward, revealing a tousled Maru with an oven mitt on his right hand. He looked frustrated, and Rin could only guess what was wrong. _The man can't cook..._ Well, all dream guys had their one flaw, and Rin supposed it was all right that cooking was Maru's flaw.

"Cook books aren't what they're cracked up to be," Maru laughed out, seeing the smirk on Rin's face. She looked at his loose hair, his gray t-shirt, and his black slacks, all as casual as Maru probably got, unless you counted his behavior when he had nothing on at all. _That was certainly casual._ Maru stepped back to let Rin in, closing the door behind her. Rin could smell that the dinner was burnt, but she would see the damage before ordering delivery. She took off her shoes, setting them near the door.

"What were you making?" she asked, stepping into his kitchen to look at the stove. Maru came in behind her, landing a kiss on her cheek before walking to the stove.

"Spaghetti. The meat is burnt, though...I guess I didn't read the heat settings correctly," he said, stirring the red sauce in the pan, which was dotted with little chunks of blackened beef.

"Oh, well...you can try again some other time...when you have proper supervision," Rin joked, standing next to him. Maru sighed and leaned forward to turn off the stove, dropping the oven mitt onto the counter.

"So...Greek, Italian?" Maru ventured, his eyebrow raised as he looked down at her. Rin smiled, gently biting on her lower lip. _This is just too easy._ Wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her chest against his body, Rin answered,

"Pizza...it takes them an hour to get here." She slid her hand down his back, curving her palm around one of his buttocks. Maru's mouth dropped open only slightly, and he gripped her shoulders in his hands. Closing his mouth, he swallowed, and Rin watched his eyes cloud over as he licked his lips. Pulling away, Rin found Maru's phone on the wall, and ran her finger down the number list pinned to the corkboard next to the phone. Finding a restaurant called Pomodoro, which had the word 'pizza' written next to it, Rin dialed the number, listening to a couple of rings before a lady with a thick New York accent picked up.

"Pomodoro, what'll ya have?" she said. She sounded nice enough, so Rin asked about their pizzas. The lady gasped as if she just asked her what chocolate was like, and began rambling off about Pomodoro's great pizzas, sounding as if she ate one every day. Rin listened with some amusement, but immediately became distracted once Maru slid his arms around her and leaned down to kiss the side of her neck.

"And their pepperoni...Loooord knows I eat way too much of their pepperoni! You should try it! It's got this great mozzarella cheese with a hint of..." the lady said, fairly gushing with love for Pomodoro's pizza. Rin put the mouthpiece of the phone away from her mouth, sighing as Maru's hands slid underneath her shirt. One took the high road and one took the low road. Rin flattened her hand against the wall in front of her as Maru unbuttoned her jeans with one hand while the other cupped one of her breasts, gently grazing the tip with his palm.

"Ohh! And the tomato sauce! Giiiiiiirl, you would not believe how deliiiiicious their tomaaaato sauce is! Loooord, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! So, uhm, what'll ya have then, hon?" she finally asked, and the silence woke up Rin from her reverie. Trying to sound normal, Rin asked for a medium cheese pizza. Maru, having loosened Rin's pants, slid his hand inside and cupped her between her legs. Rin covered up the mouthpiece, groaning as the lady squealed and asked if she wanted a topping. Rin managed to say "no" before the lady asked for her address. She could feel Maru's arousal against her backside and knew he could probably feel her nipple hardening underneath the cloth of her bra. Not sure how she did it, Rin responded with a normal tone, giving the lady Maru's address. The lady thanked her for her patronage and gave her an amount and approximate time of arrival before abruptly hanging up, most likely to go find some pizza to eat. Once the line was dead, Rin managed to put the receiver back on the hook, sighing with a high voice as Maru slid a finger inside her body.

"An hour?" Maru asked, his voice gruff as he pumped a single digit into her body, which was warm and wet. Rin's heart was pounding fast, and she pressed back against Maru's pelvis.

"Yes, an hour," Rin gasped out, bringing her hands away from the wall to push the waist of her jeans down. They dropped to the floor around her ankles, bringing her panties with them. Maru brought his hand away from the warmth of her body, bringing it up to her chest as she kicked her pants to the side. Unhooking the front of her bra, Maru brought up the hem of her shirt and tucked it inside the bra straps, leaving her breasts in open air as he removed his own clothing. Rin stayed where she was with her hands against the wall and her body almost completely bare. Moaning when Maru's arousal met her backside, Rin pressed her hind end back against his body. Maru curled his arms around her again, leaning them forward a bit more and asking Rin to spread her stance. Reaching down in front of her, Maru slid his longest finger along the seam of her lips, opening them gently and rubbing the smooth inner flesh.

"Plenty of time," Maru huskily said. Rin made an agreeing noise and tilted her head to one side when Maru's mouth met the skin on her neck. He rubbed the small, hard jewel of Rin's body, which forced a loud groan from the back of her throat. Then splaying two of his fingers to spread her open, Maru guided himself inside, panting as he squeezed into her tight passage. Rin's breath caught in her throat, and she sighed his name as he pressed into her body. Setting a fast pace, Maru braced his hands outside of Rin's against the wall and pumped into her steadily. Rin spread her feet a bit further apart, mouth open as he hit home with force.

"Maru...uhhhnnn...so deep..." Rin sighed, feeling her body jerk towards her hands. Maru felt his groin tighten in reaction to her lustful words, but he held his own and swiveled his hips as he penetrated, making Rin's thighs shake. Bringing one hand away from the wall, Maru smoothed his palm down Rin's side and over her stomach, finding the sensitive pearl near her entrance and pushing it against his arousal as he thrust into her. Rin gasped, crying out with a high voice. "S—so good! Uhhhnnn—Maru!" _So close..._ With his warm body against her back and his harsh breathing in her ear, Rin was overwhelmed. She felt incredibly dizzy, and silently thanked the wall for supporting her.

"Do you want me to go harder?" Maru asked. He sounded breathless and young, and Rin loved his voice when it sounded like that.

"Yes...go _harder_," Rin answered, moaning when he increased the force of his thrusts, pressing her little jewel in the right places. Letting a frantic cry escape, Rin squeezed her eyes shut as her inner muscles clamped down upon the thick length stretching her from the inside.

Maru puffed warm air over her ear a couple of times before groaning through gritted teeth and holding himself at the mouth of her womb as he spilled his hot seed to intermix with Rin's body. Rin stood there in a daze, vaguely aware of how warm her womanhood felt, how full it felt, and how it still gently throbbed with pleasure. Maru took a few calming breaths, pulling out of Rin but holding onto her torso with both arms. _I love this woman._ Raising his head, he glanced at the clock on the wall—they still had forty minutes. Grinning against her back, Maru waited until Rin took her hands away from the wall and leaned back with him, setting her hands over his forearms.

"That was nice," Rin said, smiling contentedly. Leaning her head back, Rin looked up at Maru, noticing the amusement playing about his lips. "What's so funny?" she asked. Gasping, Rin looked at Maru in surprised shock upon feeling his arousal returning already. Releasing her, Maru grabbed onto her hand and tugged her along to his bedroom before flipping on the lights. Turning abruptly to engulf Rin in his arms, Maru pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Rin's lips, half-carrying her to the bed. Falling back onto the bed with a huff, which got a screaming giggle out of Rin, Maru rolled onto his back, bringing Rin with him, and continued his assault on her mouth with one hand on the back of her head and the other on the back of her thigh.

"You smell good," he hoarsely whispered, inhaling the scent of Rin's hair as he brought his knees up behind her.

"So do you," Rin retorted, kissing along his jawline. The hand on her rear squeezed the flesh underneath and slipped down to gingerly spread her open, positioning his full-fledged arousal at her entrance. Then bracing his elbow on the bed, Maru brought them both up to a sitting position, which seated Rin onto his length down to the hilt. Rin made one of Maru's favorite sounds, and he took hold of the breasts in front of him, massaging one while licking the other. Feeling a thin layer of perspiration forming on her body, Rin thought of the shower she would have to take later—or rather of whom she would shower with later. Maru released her breasts from his grasp, and instead held onto her backside, rocking his body slightly. Rin took the not-so-subtle hint and began to move with him, pulling and pushing her body over his thick length. She grabbed onto his shoulders to brace herself, taking several long minutes to build up the tension.

"R—Rin...go faster," Maru gasped out, gritting his teeth when Rin clenched her inner muscles. Rin complied, working quickly up to hard thrusts that made the bed protest. Her breasts lightly bounced as she moved, and she could feel Maru's warm breath on her chest. Panting and whimpering with need to climax, Rin let her head fall back. Bringing one hand around, Maru pressed his thumb to the sensitive nub above her entrance, pushing it in the right place and eliciting a high-pitched cry from Rin. She brought herself down hard on him a few more times before seating herself and loudly groaning. Maru grunted, clenching his jaw and spilling himself into her body. Taking shaky breaths, Rin sighed at the sensation of Maru's seed mixing with her body, and released his shoulders from her death grip. Maru lied back upon the bed, setting his hands on Rin's thighs and taking long draughts of air into his lungs. Taking her lower lip between her teeth, Rin rolled her hips a few more times, sighing when her body pulsated in reaction. She sat over him for another minute before pulling off and lying down on her side to set her cheek on his shoulder. Maru turned his head to look at the digital clock next to the bed. They still had time, but Maru was so tired that turning his head had taken effort.

Both lied there for a small while, talking quietly and letting their bodies cool off. When it was obvious that they would have to get dressed or else scare the pizza boy, Rin got out of bed and padded over to the kitchen hallway, pulling down her shirt and re-adjusting her bra along the way. She heard Maru follow a little more slowly, and was just buttoning the top of her jeans when he entered the hallway to find his own clothes. Rin blatantly ogled the hard lines of his body, which Maru was no slouch to notice, but Rin turned away into the kitchen with a bright blush on her cheeks, which Maru also noticed. Smirking, he finished dressing and followed her into the kitchen, where she was searching his refrigerator for something.

"Do you mind if I have one of those cans of Poke?" Rin asked, pointing at the red cans in the back. Maru shook his head, checking the clock on the microwave. "I'm starving...feel like I've been working out for hours," Rin joked, pulling out a can and shutting the door. Finally, a knock came on the door, and Maru reached for his wallet in the back pocket of his pants. Rin walked to the door, pulling it open. A hand snatched inside, grabbing the front of her shirt and hauling her into the hallway. Rin heard Maru shout behind her, but a second man was already inside, exchanging punches with him. The man who pulled her out shoved her against the wall, forcing a rag over her mouth soaked in ether. Rin tried not to breathe it in, to push the man away from her, but her vision grayed at the edges and her limbs no longer had as much force. She heard Maru yelling, and tears easily slipped out as the familiar face in front of her sneered in triumph before everything turned black.

_-Next Morning-Somewhere in Manhattan-_

Rolling over onto her other side, Sango felt for the body that had been curled around her the entire night, but only found empty space. _What time is it?_ Peeking an eye open, Sango didn't see Miroku, but the bedroom window. Across the street, the neon sign was turned off for the day, and the sun was just coming up. Sitting up, Sango looked around the bedroom, but only her own clothes were still there, folded neatly on top of the dresser. All sorts of thoughts began to race through her mind. _Maybe he had to go home and change...the CEO can't be seen at the office in wrinkled clothes from the day before._ Her eyes drifted down to her nakedness, seeing the almost faded bruise on her collarbone. _Or he got what he wanted, and I won't see him again unless it's at the company Christmas party..._ Feeling her eyes sting, Sango pulled up the sheet on her bed, covering herself. She felt stupid, jumping to conclusions after what each had said to the other last night, but still...he wasn't there. _Maybe I'll find a note._

Getting up out of bed, Sango found her robe, lightweight and thigh-length. Shrugging it on and tying the belt, she searched the living room and kitchen for a note, or any sign that he would be back, but found nothing except the faint scent of his cologne after five minutes of searching. Shutting off her mind, Sango began to prepare herself some toast before she would hit the shower. _I'll just have to go up to his office today and talk to him. I can't judge him before I know anything._ Pressing the button down on the toaster, Sango stood there a couple of seconds in order to calm herself down, but found her vision blurring as she stood next to the toaster._He was probably lying about not having slept with another woman for eighteen months...all to get into my pants._ Sango swallowed heavily, reaching blindly into the refrigerator for some strawberry jelly. The toast popped up, and Sango set the jelly down next to her plate, holding the butter knife in her hand. _He lied about loving me then..._ Flattening her palms against the counter, Sango gritted her teeth to hold it in, but she was failing miserably. Her shoulders shook, and her chin dropped down to her chest as the first few hot, salty tears squeezed out of her eyes.

Hearing the front door open, Sango gasped and lifted her head, listening as someone shifted a plastic bag in his hand. Turning around, Sango hastily wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Miroku appeared in front of the kitchen doorway, looking further down the hall. Sango took in his appearance. He was still wearing the clothes he had on the night before, and had two plastic bags in his hands with his jacket draped over one arm. His eyebrows scrunched a bit in confusion, probably because the bedroom door was open when he had left it closed, and he looked to his right, seeing Sango standing there. His mouth fell open the slightest bit, seeing her in that flimsy red robe with her beautiful black hair loose. Looking up at her face, Miroku's eyebrows scrunched in again, and she blinked a few times to make sure the tears were gone from her paranoid mood swing. He walked towards her, setting the bags down on the counter. Standing in front of her, he had a calculating look on his face as he studied her, and she brought up her hands to touch him and make sure he was real.

"Have you been crying?" Miroku whispered, noticing that the redness in her eyes wasn't due to the morning light. When Sango was about to set her hands on his biceps, Miroku grabbed her wrists and brought her arms down, leaning towards her. "Sango, have you been crying? Answer me." Miroku said, showing a glimpse of his tougher CEO persona. Sango nodded, hoping he wouldn't prod too much further. If she told him what she thought he had done, he certainly wouldn't be pleased with her lack of trust. "Why?" Sango inwardly screamed, scrambling to find something to explain away her tears, and breaking eye contact with him by turning her head away. Not coming up with anything good, she was about to put out a lame excuse when he pinned her to the counter and brought his face close. "You thought I pulled a one-night stand, didn't you? That I lied to you... Answer me." He let go of Sango's wrists and turned her face towards him.

"Yes," Sango replied simply. An odd look passed over Miroku's face—a hurt, sad look. It didn't seem to fit on his face. It was gone after a few seconds, though, and he looked—angry. Sango wasn't sure what he would do, but if he hit her, she would be sure to return the favor. Instead Miroku roughly pulled her against him, opened her mouth with a thumb on her chin, and thrust his tongue inside. For a split second, Sango stood there in surprise, wondering about his sudden change in mood, but then eagerly wrapped her arms around him, letting him slide his hands to the back of her thighs and lift her. Setting her rump on the counter, Miroku reached down to unzip his slacks and drop them to the floor. Pushing his black boxer-briefs down far enough to let loose his raging arousal, he reached in front of him to Sango's robe, untying the belt even as he slanted his mouth across her swollen lips. With her arms draped around his shoulders, Sango felt like she was being dominated, but since it was Miroku doing the dominating, she didn't mind at all. Gasping into the kiss when she felt Miroku rubbing her womanhood with his right hand, Sango unconsciously spread her legs farther apart. Miroku broke off the kiss, looking into Sango's dilated eyes as he pushed his longest finger into her body, pressing against the pearl of nerves with his thumb. Sango's mouth dropped open and a moan came tumbling out.

"How can anyone get enough of you in one night?" Miroku breathlessly said in his low, steady voice. Inserting a second finger, Miroku thrust his hand harder, bringing his left arm underneath her right knee. "I want to make love to you every day for the rest of my life." Sango was having great difficulty catching her breath, and it felt like all the blood in her body had pooled to where Miroku was manipulating her. Everything was throbbing warmly. Miroku, now reaching for a deeper spot, returned to one finger, slowing the pace down slightly. "God, Sango...you're...you're so wet." Sango's face was flushed with excitement at Miroku's downright naughty words, and she bit down on her lower lip, still giving little breathy moans that hissed past her teeth.

Miroku then removed his wet fingers, licking the moisture away and placing his other arm underneath Sango's left knee. Sango watched as he pulled her to the edge of the counter, holding her knees up and wide open. Brushing the tip of his arousal over Sango's entrance, Miroku looked into Sango's eyes as she clutched at his shoulders. Suddenly thrusting into her, Miroku let out a low groan, not stopping for a break but keeping up a fast pace.

"Ohh! Ohhh! M—Miroku!" Sango gasped out, holding onto his shoulders for dear life as he pounded into her, creating a scalding friction. Both were breathing fast, and both had already forgotten what it was about which they almost fought. A more intense orgasm than she had felt last night was forming in her deepest muscles, and Sango was close to screaming at the high tension she felt. Miroku took his arms from underneath Sango's knees, pressing them against his side to indicate that she hold onto him and encased her in his arms. Sango locked her ankles behind Miroku's body, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Sango...God, you're so tight," Miroku groaned, driving deep into her body. For a couple of long minutes, Miroku worked his hips, rolling them as he squeezed into her body. Sango's voice came out as a breathy cry, which rose in pitch as her climax built up. He clutched her to him, bracing one hand on the counter behind them, which tilted them backwards slightly and changed the angle of his pelvis. Sango's head dropped back, and her thighs clamped around Miroku's waist. A harsh, carnal sound broke from her lips, and Sango at last orgasmed, digging her fingers into Miroku's shoulders. Miroku penetrated as far as he could push his arousal and let himself go, gritting his teeth as his groin tightened and released. Letting out the breath he had been holding, Miroku sighed, rubbing Sango's back and giving her a few extra little pushes, which earned him a long, soft moan. His seed was hot inside her body, which felt incredibly good to Sango, but it made her realize something.

"Miroku...we...we didn't use any protection," Sango said, still holding onto his shoulders.

"Good," he sighed, still running his hands over any bare patch of skin he could find. He felt Sango tense a little, and leaned back. Stepping out of the pants still pooled around his ankles, Miroku said, "Hang on," and lifted Sango from off the counter. Walking them to her living room, Miroku carefully eased them down onto the floor, which thankfully had new carpet. Spreading the material from Sango's chest, Miroku lied over her, looking at her skin in the light of day just now coming in from the living room windows. Sango almost lifted her hands to cover herself again, but was able to endure Miroku's lustful scrutiny. "I want to have you in every room in this apartment," Miroku roughly voiced, leaning down to take the peak of one of Sango's breasts into his mouth. Sango's mouth was open in a heartbeat, and she felt his manhood filling her again very quickly.

"But what about work? We have to be there s—soon," Sango managed to say as Miroku moved to her other breast, flicking the tip with his tongue. Sango let her feet touch the carpet, and Miroku leaned up, removing his shirt even though his underwear was still halfway on.

"We'll get there eventually." Lying down again and dropping kisses onto Sango's neck, Miroku pulled out slightly and pushed in again, maintaining a moderate, shallow pace as he rocked into Sango's body. Sango wrapped her arms around his shoulders, making small noises with each thrust of his thick length into her tight muscles. "Tell me how it feels, Sango," Miroku asked in a strained voice. He increased the pace only slightly, rolling his hips a little.

"It—it feels...ohh! It's tight, too, but...don't stop. I...I like—how full I feel," Sango finally said, having trouble expressing exactly what it was like. Miroku licked and suckled at the skin on her neck and beneath her ear, bucking into her and trying to keep himself from speeding up too fast. Sango slid her hands down to the small of his back, and one continued down to hold onto Miroku's backside, riding the pumping muscles. She spread her feet farther apart, softly moaning every few seconds as they made love on the floor. When Miroku deepened his thrusts, Sango hissed in reaction. "Ohhh! Miroku, it's...so far inside and—uunnhh! Don't stop!" Sango was writhing slightly underneath him, and Miroku waited for her body to figure out what it wanted to do. He maintained his thrusts, full and hard, but was also trying to keep his mind on something else due to the pagan noises Sango was making. She bucked up into him for his next thrust, and Miroku groaned loudly.

"God...just like that, Sango," he said. Needing very badly to finish, he increased the tempo, straight-arming away from her and closing his eyes. Sango had both hands on his rear, pushing him in as she bucked her hips. Grinding against his hips, Sango brought her pelvis up one last time, gasping and crying out when her inner muscles thudding heavily, sending out aftershocks that made her legs and arms shake. Miroku threw his head back, groaning at the ceiling as his length pumped out seed into Sango's safekeeping. His arms could no longer hold him after his orgasm subsided, and Miroku collapsed onto Sango's soft body.

Sango took in large amounts of air, absently playing with Miroku's dragon tail of hair and staring at the white ceiling above her. _Why didn't he use protection? Why didn't he care? If he...is he trying to..._ Swallowing once her breath had returned to her, Sango wanted to ask Miroku about it, but was too anxious about how he would react. Finding the best words she could think of, Sango quietly said his name, and Miroku brought his head up to look at her with a lazy possessiveness in his eyes that gave her skin goose bumps.

"Why didn't you use any protection, Miroku?" Sango softly asked, searching his face for a change in mood. He looked uneasy for a few seconds, but it was gone quickly, and Miroku cleared his throat.

"Will you marry me, Sango?" he asked. Sango's eyes were wide, and she gasped, surprised beyond belief and just plain overwhelmed. It didn't occur to her that she might want to be upset that he proposed to her after having unprotected sex, or that the proposal was given while she was on the floor with him still buried inside her body. All Sango could think of was how happy she felt. Blinking rapidly as moisture gathered over her eyes, Sango wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought his lips down for a thorough kiss. It was answer enough, and Miroku returned her kiss full throttle. Breaking off the kiss to whisper fervent words of love to each other, both pecked little kisses wherever they could, hugging each other and laughing.

Half an hour later, they managed to finally get ready to leave for work that day, already fifteen minutes late. As Sango left her bedroom, dressed for work in a black pant suit with her hair tied loosely below the nape of her neck, she found Miroku in her kitchen, having already set out the jelly-covered bagel he had prepared from the groceries he brought back earlier. Miroku couldn't help but take hold of her shoulders and land a short, lusty kiss on her before sitting down to eat, and it was 8:30 by the time they left. Draping her purse over her shoulder, Sango turned off the kitchen light when there was a knock on the door.

"Who would be visiting me?" she asked herself, giving Miroku a confused look as she stepped in front of the door and peered through the peephole. Seeing no one there, Sango figured that the knock was just for the next-door neighbor and swung open her apartment door. Seeing two men standing just out of range of the peephole, who were about to dive for the door, Sango screamed and tried to shut it. Miroku's eyes went wide and he dove for the door, trying to close it before they could get inside, but two grown, muscled men versus Sango and Miroku was no match. The door burst open, which sprawled Sango and Miroku on the floor. One man reached for Sango, and the other for Miroku, but neither was about to give up without a fight. Miroku threw himself backwards, so that the meaty guy going after him landed on his face, and Sango kicked up, landing her the toe of her high-heeled shoe right where it hurt the most. The man's face turned beet red, and he looked as if he couldn't breathe.

The second guy, who had been going after Miroku, grab Sango's arm roughly, hauling her up and drawing out a very wicked-looking gun. Miroku, finally up on his feet, stopped dead in his tracks.

"You two are comin' wit' us," he drawled out, pressing the barrel of the gun to Sango's temple, "or else the girlfriend is going to make a pretty paintin' on the wall." The other man came to his knees, wheezing and coughing. "You okay, man?" The other thug gave him a look that could kill, but the first guy just shrugged.

"Don't hurt her," Miroku said in as calm a voice as he could muster. _If they hurt one hair on her head...they're dead men._ The second man finally got to his feet, catching his breath and stretching his neck.

"Someone wants to see you," he said to Sango, who looked awfully uneasy. The man gave her the once-over, sneering. "Don't think you can kick me in the balls and not pay for it." Pointing his pistol at Miroku, he continued, "let's go, buddy. I'm sure he'd like to see you, too." Leaving Sango's purse and jacket on the floor of the apartment where she dropped them, they all entered the hallway, shutting the door behind them. The two thugs escorted Sango and Miroku down to the bottom floor, tucking away their weapons before they crossed the ratty lobby of Sango's apartment building, but keeping tight holds on their hostages' upper arms. No one in the lobby seemed able to look Sango in the eye. _No one is going to help us..._ Silent tears meandered down her face, which got Miroku's jaw clenched in anger.

They were stuffed into the back of a van, where a third man sat at the wheel, smoking a cigarette. The van had opposite-facing seats against the sides, like a paddy wagon. All three thugs looked like they were in their early thirties: dark hair, square jaws, and huge fists. _Probably related_, Miroku mused as one guy tied his wrists together. Sango and Miroku sat opposite each other with their own personal thug sitting next to them.

"What do you want?" Sango shakily asked as the man whom she had earlier kicked tied her wrists as well. "Why does someone want to see me?" Miroku almost wanted to tell her not to say anything, but he kept silent. The guy in front put out his cigarette and turned the ignition.

"You'll find out when you get there," was all he said. Miroku was planning on watching where they were going, but of a sudden a black cloth bag was pulled over his head.

"Hey!" he yelled, trying to pull it off. A hand on his forehead bumped his head back against the side of the van, and Miroku felt the vehicle begin moving. He became even angrier, but sat still. He heard Sango's muffled voice as she asked why they had to wear the black sacks over their heads, but no one answered. After a couple of minutes, he heard Sango yell.

"Stop it! You bastard!" Sango, who couldn't see anything, was sitting peacefully when a hand touched her thigh. She had simply jerked her thigh away, but was hauled onto the guy's lap, and he proceeded to put his hands wherever he wanted. That's when she began kicking and screaming.

"Damn it! What are you doing, you asshole?!" Miroku yelled, trying to hear where the guy was so he could know where to hit him without hurting Sango. The thug next to him was laughing. Miroku lunged forward, but his laughing thug grabbed his upper arm and slammed him back against the van wall.

"Let me go! Stop it! Stop it!" Sango yelled, trying to move her arms. She was still facing towards the opposite side of the van, with her hind end sitting in the thug's lap. Feeling his manhood reacting to her, Sango thrashed even more, but the one arm around her had pinned her own arms against her sides, and the thug was roughly grabbing her breasts, squeezing them overly hard. Miroku, groggy from the hard knock to his head, swayed where he sat, trying to get his bearings so that he could dive forward again.

"Damn it, Joey, would ya put the girl down, ya sick bastard?" a voice said from the front of the van. "I'm trying ta drive and if ya damage the goods den Boss'll do more than kick you in the balls." Abruptly, Sango was tossed to her original seat with a growl, and she sat there sobbing.

"S—Sango...are you okay?" Miroku asked the air in front of him. He felt a shove on his arm and landed in the middle of the van. Sango continued to cry, and Miroku heard his thug tell him to shut her up. Miroku reached forward, finding Sango's shins.

"Sango..." Miroku said. Sango sunk to her knees on the floor of the van, and Miroku brought his tied wrists over her head, looping his arms around her and holding her against his chest. Shushing her as best as he could, the last ten minutes of their ride passed in peace. Miroku listened as they stopped somewhere, and the three thugs got out of the van. Hearing seagulls, Miroku knew they were very close to the water. He took his arms from around Sango, but before he could bring up his hands to pull of the black sack, someone grabbed his arms and roughly pulled him from the vehicle, which got a gasp from Sango, whom he could feel grasping for his ankles before he was set on the ground. She gasped again when someone else pulled her out, and he heard her feet touch the ground.

"Forward," the driver said, and both felt a light shove in their backs. Walking over asphalt, Sango could smell saltwater and feel the ocean breeze through her clothes. The sun on her body abruptly disappeared, though, and her footsteps began to echo, as if she had entered a large, empty warehouse. She was positioned somewhere and heard someone tell her to sit down. She could feel a chair against her calves and took a seat. Sango couldn't hear where Miroku was, but she did hear someone say the word "bastard." Of a sudden, the black sack was pulled from her head, and Sango looked around. Gasping in surprise, she saw Kohaku sitting on the floor of the warehouse, bloodied up and giving a man in a suit a dirty look.

"Why'd you bring her into it, Nara Ku? She's my sister, damn it!" Kohaku yelled, wiping his bloodied lip with the back of his hand. Onigumo merely chuckled, smiling slightly.

"Perhaps you'll tell us where you stashed the money now that you've got more incentive," he sneered, looking at the other man sitting in his warehouse. He nodded slightly, and Miroku's head was revealed, which got a smile out of Onigumo. "This is just perfect. One of the CEO's of Durst and Sung, here to help us out. How'd you find him?" he asked the thugs, who stood behind their hostages.

"He was with the girl in her apartment, Boss," the driver said. "Still wearing his clothes from yesterday," he added, indicating only one thing. Kohaku didn't respond, obviously worried about other things, but Onigumo lightly laughed some more.

"Bring the other two in," he threw over his shoulder to the two thugs behind him. They entered a side room with yellowed glass windows and hauled two people to their feet. Sango watched anxiously, and covered her mouth when she saw Rin and Maru being half-dragged towards them. Both were in regular clothes, barefoot. Maru was obviously angry, and Rin's face was unreadable. She didn't seem surprised to see Sango there.

"No, no...put Rin next to me," Onigumo said, half-sneering, half-smiling. Maru looked really irked now, and Sango looked over to Miroku, who was looking just as ticked off. Maru was roughly thrown into a rickety chair, and Rin was gently pushed down into a sturdier-looking chair next to Onigumo, who put his hands on her shoulders. Rin tensed, but did nothing. "Now...we have a party."


	9. Chapter 9

_-Waterfront Warehouse-_

Rin, as Onigumo put his reviling hands on her shoulders, tried not to panic. After the man whom she had seen in the elevator earlier subdued her with a hand towel soaked in ether, she remembered absolutely nothing until she regained consciousness a couple of hours ago. When she had woken up, she found that her hands had been bound about fifteen times with duct tape, and her hip hurt from lying on it for so long on a cold, concrete floor. Her body felt a little sticky, though, since the place had no air conditioning and New York was going through its Indian Summer. The light above her was dim, and the place smelled stale. Behind that scent, though, Rin could also smell seawater. Rolling carefully to a sitting position and wincing as her hipbone throbbed dully, Rin looked around the tiny room in which they had placed her. The windows had yellowed glass, meaning no one had cleaned them in at least a decade, and a few dusty pieces of office furniture were stacked against the wall. Looking behind her, Rin's heart was in her throat when she saw Maru.

His wrists were also bound, his chin sported dried blood that had trailed down from his split lip, and he had a black eye among other bruises Rin could see from where she sat. Crawling the few feet between them, Rin awkwardly pressed one palm against his cheek.

"Maru? Wake up..." Rin whispered, trying to shake his shoulder with her trussed up wrists. His lips came together, and he swallowed before taking a deeper breath. He made a weak sound, as if trying to clear his throat. Rin leaned down, realizing he was trying to say something.

"Water." Rin looked around, knowing that finding water was a slim possibility. Bringing her eyes back to Maru's bruised face, Rin brushed the backs of her fingers down his cheek towards his ear.

"I don't think we'll get any water." Looking at all the bruises on his arms and face, Rin decided to check for other injuries. Pulling his shirt up a bit, dark bruises outlined where his ribs touched his skin. _They might have broken some of his ribs..._ Rin rapidly blinked her eyes and willed herself to calm down. "Maru...can you tell if your ribs are broken? I need to know and I don't know how to check." Maru peeked his eyes, finding the light in the room to be dim enough and opened his lids to find a worried-looking Rin looking down at him._Even in this situation, she looks beautiful._ Maru decided to test her theory and took a deep breath, finding a little bit of pain but nothing serious.

"I don't think they're broken." Swallowing again, Maru turned his head slightly to look around. "Where are we?" Rin shifted slightly and put his head in her lap to get it off of the floor. She sighed, setting her hands on his sternum.

"I think it's an abandoned building or warehouse." Snapping her head up once she heard footsteps outside the door, Rin watched a shadow pass over the beveled glass. No one opened the door, though, and the shadow moved on. _A guard..._ Maru was trying to sit up, but Rin pushed down on his shoulders to keep him still. "Stay there. Let the blood drain out of your head a bit longer. I think we've been here for quite a while." Maru relaxed, looking up at her and finding it surreal that at a time like this, all he noticed was how her breasts looked from the new angle. He was slowly becoming aware of a throbbing inside his head and other aches all over his body. Rin's lap was much softer than the floor, and much warmer, and Maru closed his eyes while they waited for the perpetrator, no doubt Onigumo, to show his ugly mug.

When Maru opened his eyes again, the light in the room was much less artificial, meaning the sun had come up and the light inside the room was shut off. _I must have slept some more._ Looking up at Rin, who was resting her chin on her chest and looking to be almost asleep, Maru cleared his throat. Rin jerked awake. She took a deep breath and looked around the room again before dropping her gaze to Maru's face. His eye was almost swollen shut now, but he looked less groggy than earlier.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked, moving to sit up. Rin let him, bringing her wrists up to her chest. Her legs began to prick painfully, and she straightened them out in front of her to let them get some circulation back.

"About an hour, I suppose. I wo—" Rin suddenly stopped, hearing a van pull up outside. Maru reached forward to hold her hands, knowing very well that his death or hers...or theirs...was a definite possibility. Rin's anxious face was pointed toward the door as the footsteps of half a dozen people echoed outside the door, along with the scrapes of some chair legs on the concrete floor and some muffled voices. Maru leaned forward then, pressing his sore lips to Rin's mouth—just in case. Duly distracted, Rin shut her eyes and returned his kiss, both desperate for one last moment before anyone entered the room. Hearing the lock being turned, Maru pressed a few more quick kisses upon her before bringing his body back and looking towards the door. Rin shifted uncomfortably on the floor, heart pounding. When a man she had never seen before...and the one from the elevator, entered the room, Rin's heart was no longer pounding in her chest but in her throat. Maru squinted his eyes, recognizing Kouga instantly. Kouga pulled Rin to her feet while the other thug hauled Maru up, not caring if he pushed Maru's sore spots.

Having a hard time walking, Rin had to depend on Kouga more than she would have liked. The floor was freezing and gritty with dirt underneath her bare feet. Looking in front of her, Rin saw another man pull a black sack off of a woman's head—who turned out to be Sango. _It figures...Onigumo wants to hurt everyone I care about._ On the floor a few feet in front of Sango, however, was Kohaku. Though Rin was now confused, she was too tired to give much reaction. Rin's eyes then settled on Onigumo, who was dressed immaculately and smiling as if he just received a new toy. Kouga was about to set her down near Maru, who was shoved into a rickety chair, when she heard Onigumo's seedy voice.

"No, no...put Rin next to me." Kouga obediently switched directions, jerking his head at a nearby thug to pull a chair over. Pressing Rin down into the chair, Kouga moved to stand behind Maru. Rin sat down reluctantly, determined not to show too much of a reaction to Onigumo. He set his hands on her shoulders, and Rin heard him say quite jovially, "Now...we have a party."

"What are you going to do to us, Nara Ku?" Kohaku said angrily, obviously upset at his own helplessness. Onigumo made a small noise, smirking.

"Well, now that I have a Durst and Sung CEO, I don't need some low-rung security guard to answer my questions. I think I might just shoot you, unless you'd like to tell me where the company's vault is within D&S's New York headquarters." Looking over at Sango and Miroku, who looked confused and somewhat angry, Onigumo chuckled. "Seems to me that no one here except for you knows what's going on...and I do so love to gloat." Kohaku spit blood out of his mouth, holding his ribs.

"Kohaku...why didn't you ask me for help?" Sango asked, her voice cracking. Kohaku couldn't look her in the face and instead landed a glare on Onigumo. Onigumo smirked again, loving the control he had over the others.

"In order to pay off his bills, Kohaku came to me for a loan. When he couldn't repay me after six months, I made a deal with him—he had to spy on D&S for me in exchange for his life and 0% interest. So he couldn't ask for your assistance, my dear Sango...then he would have gone to jail. Corporate espionage, when funded by the mob, does not go over well with the police. Security guards are given a surprisingly small amount of information, though—or so he says...I know there's a vault of money market securities in D&S—and I'm going to get it. I visited Kohaku at work last week to 'remind' him of his end of the bargain when a past lover walked in the front door. Image my delight. And Rin," Onigumo said to her, looking over his shoulder, "the one thing I noticed was how your breasts filled out so well. Heh...knowing Kohaku's reputation at the company, I had no doubt that he would ask her out. So after Rin took the elevator up, I gave Kohaku a new deal...he was going to deliver Rin to me in exchange for his life and the repayment of the loan.

"I knew, though, that he was going to be remarkably stupid and decide to run instead...heh...so I sent in my best man as soon as I left the building. Kouga was already a solid plant inside, but his access was limited. I had him follow Rin and put a tracking device in her jacket pocket—" Rin gasped, remembering the incident in the elevator. He wasn't trying to cop a feel—he was putting a bug on her! Onigumo squeezed her shoulders, which made Rin cringe in disgust. "He gave me her office phone number, which I was only too happy to call...and we found out which office she worked in. That's when I knew she and her boss could prove useful. Sesshou Maru knew one of the top CEOs personally and was about to become one if Kouga was correct. Having Rin, though," Onigumo hissed, squeezing her shoulders way too hard and earning a gasp from Rin, "now that was the real prize. And now that I have so many people here to help me out, I want to know the location of the securities vault. And if I don't get it—" Onigumo cut himself off, not needing to finish the sentence.

Miroku didn't move a muscle. He knew the location—and he knew that Maru did, too—but that vault contained $300 million in securities alone. He wasn't about to let Nara Ku have the company's money. Onigumo turned his suddenly angry gaze upon Maru, but a movement from Kouga brought Miroku's attention away from Onigumo. Kouga was looking out the loading dock door, seemingly worried. Before Miroku knew it, Onigumo was in front of him, grabbing his shirt and hauling him to his feet.

"Where is it?!" Pulling out a gun fitted with a silencer, he pointed it at Sango's head. She flinched, bringing her hands up as if to ward off the bullet that could kill her in less than half a second. Miroku yelled out,

"Stop it! Don't kill her!" Onigumo brought Miroku's face close, sneering at him.

"Then where's the vault?!"

"You'll never be able to get in the vault, anyway," came Maru steady, calm voice. "You don't have the right keys." Onigumo had whipped his head around upon hearing Maru's claim, dropping Miroku back into his seat. Rin was visibly tense, upset that Onigumo's wrath was now turned upon Maru. She didn't know what to say, though. _Maru! You don't know what he'll do to you if you make him angry!_ Instead of walking over to Maru, though, Onigumo headed towards Rin. No longer gentle in the slightest, Onigumo roughly grabbed Rin's arm, jerking her to her feet. He walked her to stand perhaps four feet in front of Maru and pressed the barrel of his gun to her right temple. Maru's jaw clenched and his muscles moved underneath his shirt.

"You move an inch, my dear...and I'll blow your brains all over the floor. I don't mind getting this suit dirty," Onigumo said into her ear. Rin looked at Maru, needing something good on which to focus her eyes. He held her gaze, finding it hard to pick out the emotions crossing her face. Onigumo's free hand let go of Rin's arm as he stepped behind her, still holding the gun to her head. Sliding his hand around her waist and down, Onigumo cupped Rin between her thighs. Rin cried out in shock and disgust, and Maru jerked in reaction. Kohaku and Miroku averted their gazes, and Sango covered her eyes. Maru's teeth were bared in anger, and Onigumo laughed from behind Rin's head.

"I remember being in this exact spot only a couple of years ago. God, Rin was hot that night," Onigumo recalled, enjoying the way Rin tried to squirm away from him without getting herself killed. "I remember pinning her arms down and shoving between her legs—"

"Shut up! You sick bastard!" Maru yelled, wanting very badly to kill the mob boss currently violating Rin. Onigumo merely laughed harder, rubbing his fingers against Rin through the cloth of her jeans. Rin closed her eyes, which squeezed out a couple of tears. Behind her, she could hear Sango softly sobbing and a curse word come out of Kohaku's mouth.

"The way she struggled against me only got me harder," he chuckled, bucking his arousal against Rin's backside. "Perhaps you'd have more incentive to tell me where the vault is and how to get inside...if I threatened to fuck your little girlfriend right in front of you. I'm sure my boys would enjoy the show." Hearing a couple of laughs behind him, Onigumo rubbed his fingers harder, moving them in circles. "I might even let them have that bitch behind me. Two good fucks together..." Hearing two more violent curse words from Kohaku and Miroku, Onigumo was sorely tempted to do so even if Maru gave him the information he needed. Whispering only for Rin's ears, Onigumo said, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like it if I came all over you..."

"I'll kill you...I'll rip your head off!" Maru yelled, coming out of his chair. Kouga grabbed his shoulders and shoved him back down. Onigumo clucked his tongue, rubbing his middle finger along the seam of Rin's jeans as more tears slid down her cheeks.

"Such a temper...you've got five seconds to start explaining before I throw her on the ground, Sesshou Maru. Five..." Rin squirmed some more, trying to get his hand away from her. "Four..." Miroku and Kohaku looked to Sango, hoping she would be left alone. "Three..." Maru could feel an unearthly sound rising up in his throat. "Two..." Kouga looked to the loading dock door. "One..."

"Police! FREEZE!" came a familiar voice through the police horn. None of the thugs hesitated. They all pulled out their guns and began to shoot towards the loading dock. Sango and Miroku dived at the floor. Onigumo was bringing his hands up to hold his weapon correctly, but Maru was faster. When Onigumo was occupied with threatening Miroku, drawing the attention of the rest of the thugs, Kouga had made a small slit in the duct tape over Maru's wrists. Maru ripped his hands apart, rending the duct tape and shot to his feet. Clamping his hand over Onigumo's wrist, he wrenched him away from Rin and pushed her down to the floor. Jerking the gun out of Onigumo's hand, Maru flung it fifteen feet away and landed a punch in Onigumo's kidney. _God, that felt good._

Onigumo swung at him, but Maru ducked his fist and rammed another punch into the same spot on Onigumo's body. Hearing a bullet whiz by his head, Maru ducked away from Onigumo, taking a quick look at the chaos going on near the door fifty feet away. Three thugs lay dead on the concrete floor, and Miroku and Kohaku were both covering Sango only ten feet from him. He didn't have time to look around any more because Onigumo came running at him, wielding a knife that he must have stashed in one of his pockets. Maru easily ducked his lunge, using Onigumo's momentum to throw him a good ten feet. The knife clattered to the floor, and Maru ran at Onigumo.

Rin had watched the whole scene for about fifteen seconds—the gunfire between the police and Onigumo's henchmen; the slugfest between Maru and Onigumo—and Kouga was crouched near the pile of hostages in the middle of the floor with his gun out and a police badge hanging from his neck, obviously there to protect the three in case a thug decided to turn and shoot. _He's...he's a cop?!_ Seeing a knife fall to the floor only four feet from her galvanized her to quickly dive for it and cut the duct tape around her wrists. Another fifteen seconds passed and her hands were free. Onigumo and Maru were still brawling, although Rin hadn't yet seen a single blow land on Maru. Looking to her right, she saw Onigumo's gun lying on the floor near the wall. It was true that she was afraid of guns...but nothing would stop her from picking up this one, especially since it could mean the life or death of the man of her dreams. Rin scrambled to her feet and ran to the gun. Keeping her head down, Rin grabbed the gun, finding it heavier than she would have thought. With all the gunfire, Rin attempted to aim the gun at Onigumo, but he was wrestling around with Maru on the ground.

Meanwhile, Onigumo had managed to pull out his other knife, and was attempting to push it down into Maru's neck. Maru was pushing back, but was losing the battle since Onigumo had better leverage.

"Once I kill you, I'll be free to fuck Rin as much as I want," Onigumo growled, his voice strained from brawling. The four remaining henchmen were still exchanging fire with the police, kicking or throwing out the gas grenades that the police tossed in. Maru clenched his teeth, trying to force his muscles to push harder. "That bitch got me kicked out of college...I'll tie her up and fuck her ass until she bleeds..." Maru, more violently angry than he had ever been in his life, growled,

"Watch your mouth..." Yelling, he pushed up, knocking Onigumo back with a foot to the chest. Before Maru could roll away as Onigumo lurched forward with the knife again, a bullet lodged in Onigumo's right arm. Onigumo grimaced and cried out, looking to the source of his pain. Rin, gripping the barrel tight, squeezed the trigger. The gun's recoil jarred her arm, but Rin had managed to fire it, and a second bullet lodged itself on the left side of Onigumo's forehead. Maru watched as the light went out in Onigumo's eyes. His body fell back with a heavy thud and more police officers came barging in from the rooftop. Maru looked to his left and found Rin still poised to shoot. She looked numb, as if seeing an entirely different scene. The additional police officers quickly subdued the four thugs trying to hold their position, throwing them to the floor for their Miranda rights and a pair of cuffs. Maru came to his feet, running across the gritty, cold floor to where Rin stood. Pulling the gun from her fingers and tossing it away, Maru forced her to look at him.

"Rin...Rin say something...are you okay?" he asked, holding onto her upper arms. He shook her lightly, and tears gathered over Rin's eyes.

"I killed someone...oh, God, Maru...I killed someone," Rin sobbed, clutching him to her and burying her face in the crook of his neck. Maru held her close, rubbing his hand in circles over her back while she hiccupped due to the force of her racking sobs. Looking to his right, he saw Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku finally getting up.

Sango had never been so scared in her life. When the first gunshots rang out, her instinct had been to dive for cover, but the fact that Kohaku and Miroku's first instincts were to protect her was what got her crying. Wrapping an arm around each of them, Sango hugged Miroku and Kohaku to her, sniffing as the police officers attempted to question them about what had happened. Miroku and Kohaku ignored the officers, deeming it more fitting to spend the moment hugging Sango.

"Kohaku...you could have asked me for money if you needed it," Sango laughed out, squeezing his shoulder beneath her palm. Miroku wanted to hold Sango forever at that moment. _That asshole almost shot her...she could have died!_ Looking past Sango's mop of black hair, he saw Rin pressed tightly to Maru's chest.

"Rin, he would have killed many innocent people if you hadn't stopped him," Maru softly said, rocking her from side to side. He could see Detective Seikai standing nearby, watching them for the moment to ask questions. "Seikai is waiting for us. The sooner we talk with him, the sooner we can go home...okay?" He felt Rin nod against his chest and pulled back, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. She's alive...

Seeing Maru's swollen eye and split lip, Rin realized her primary reason for shooting Onigumo—a precious, handsome, sexy, wonderful reason. _He's alive..._

_-Saturday, four months later-_

It thankfully didn't snow that day. The sidewalk was cleared of the snowfall they had received a couple of days ago, and a group of people stood outside, waiting for the happy couples. Two limos waited along the curbside, and everyone had their birdseed ready. Two red-coated ushers opened the doors to the church, and people spilled out. A priest, some parents, some siblings, some bridesmaids and best men, and two sets of newly-weds all joined the wedding guests outside in the chill of New York's winter. Without thinking, Maru and Miroku shrugged off their tuxedo jackets and draped them over the shoulders of their brides, waving at wedding guests and shaking hands with their parents.

The ordeal with Onigumo and his henchmen was already a thankfully distant memory. No charges were pressed upon Rin for Onigumo's death—in fact, most of the people who commented to her about it were exceedingly grateful that she disposed of him. Detective Seikai later explained that Kouga had been undercover with Onigumo's mob gang for almost a year and finally had the chance to gather evidence on him when the police was given the arrest warrant. By making sure that Onigumo didn't hear about his arrest warrant until it was too late to clean up his tracks before bolting, Kouga had brought down a large branch of organized crime in New York. Now that his cover was blown, Kouga had to return to normal street duty. The four mob thugs arrested at the scene were sent to life in prison with no chance of parole. They might have received death sentences, but after giving up information to the police, they were saved from at least that fate. Their information led to the downfall of one of D&S's biggest rivals, Arnold Blunderson, which had been using the mob as their corporate espionage branch in order to bring down D&S. But now, the entire mess was resolved and tossed out with yesterday's news.

It wasn't too long after the incident that Maru proposed to Rin one night before they were about to fall asleep. Finally getting up the nerve to ask her, Maru had whispered that he wanted to marry her. After a few tears, a few loving words, and a few light kisses, they spent the next hour messing up the bed sheets.

"I can't believe it's finally over! I thought this day would never come!" Sango gushed to Rin, fairly jumping up and down with happiness. "And we get to leave this cold weather for the Bahamas! You and I will have so much fun at the beach!" Rin grinned in kind, feeling happier than she had ever been in her life. The two of them walked further down the steps while their new husbands spoke with other wedding guests and waved about their bouquets to signal the bouquet toss. Sango dryly noted that her brother was pointing at his girlfriend next to him—some quiet girl named Kanna. Kanna gave a small smile, ready for the toss.

"Come on! Toss them already!" someone yelled from the back of the crowd. Sango took careful aim, but Rin just grinned and shut her eyes before tossing off her bouquet. Many squeals and declarations of triumph later, Kanna came up with Sango's bouquet, and a preteen girl named Shiori, Rin's second cousin, came up with Rin's bouquet. Shiori's mother smiled as Shiori jumped up and down, waving around the flowers. Turning back to find Maru shaking hands with his brother, Rin walked over to Kagome, giving the girl a big hug. Kagome was very obviously pregnant now, and Yasha kept his arm around Kagome's waist half the time.

"Welcome to the family," Kagome said, pulling back and smiling. Yasha shook hands with Rin, adding his own condolences with a joking grin,

"Yeah, sorry you had to get saddled with that lump of ice." Maru glared at his brother before reaching over and tugging hard on his earlobe. Yasha yelped, smacking Maru's shoulder half-heartedly.

"We'd better get going, Rin," Maru commented, checking his watch. "The plane leaves in three hours and it's a half-hour ride to get there. We'll have to change in the limo." Miroku appeared with Sango, both flushed from the cold and the excitement of the day.

"Well, we're headed off. We'll meet you in front of the gate in an hour, okay?" Miroku affirmed, draping his arm around Sango's shoulder. Maru inclined his head, smirking.

"I'll see you in a couple of weeks, Kagome! Take care, Yasha!" Rin called, headed down the steps with Maru. Kagome and Yasha waved, standing close with an arm around the other. Watching the two limos drive off towards the freeway, Kagome and Yasha turned to look at each other with knowing smiles on their faces.

_-Limo #1: Miroku and Sango-_

On the freeway, following Maru and Rin's limousine, Miroku pressed a button, raising the partition between the driver and them.

"We're going to change into some normal clothes so ignore us if you feel a few bumps, okay?" Miroku explained right before the partition closed. From the front seat, the driver sighed, thinking to himself that it's what they all said about 'feeling a few bumps.'

Sango, digging through her bag, was pulling out her clothes and already had her veil off. Miroku softly smiled at her, though she wasn't looking. _She's mine now..._ Sango was soon down to her slip, having cautiously tucked the wedding dress into a dry cleaning bag. Making as if he was merely changing his clothes, Miroku took off his lapel and removed his belt before pulling his shirt out of the waist of his pants. Leaning towards Sango, he wrapped his arm around her side, eliciting a gasp, and pulled her over to him. Sango straddled his lap, bracing her hands on his shoulders, as Miroku pressed her pelvis down upon his and looked up at her with a good amount of lust in his eyes.

"M—Miroku...we're in a limo..." Sango tried to reason, squirming in his lap. Her movements only served to arouse him more, which Sango could feel as his manhood grew and hardened underneath her. Miroku pulled the straps of her slip down, revealing her chest, and splayed his hand across her back. Pulling her towards him, Miroku laved his tongue over Sango's breast and then flicked it rapidly with the tip as he gently squeezed the soft flesh of her other breast. Sango forgot what she was saying and brought her hands up to hold his jaw as he tasted her skin.

After a few heady moments, Miroku tilted his head back to look up at the dazed expression on Sango's face. Sango sunk into the mood and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning down to drop a heavy kiss onto her husband's lips. Slowly grinding her core against the bulge in his pants, Sango felt her silk panties grow damp and enjoyed the feel of Miroku's hands on her backside. Feeling the limo underneath them switch lanes, Sango was reminded of where they were and pulled back, blushing a deep red. Miroku wouldn't have it, though, and held her against him with one arm as he unzipped his pants and worked his fierce arousal out of his underwear.

"Miroku...the driver will know what we're doing," Sango whispered, still blushing. Miroku smiled at how pretty her red-tinged cheeks were and how she reluctantly struggled against him. Having brought himself out of the confines of his pants, Miroku reached between Sango's thighs, pulling the center of her silk panties to one side and pushing two fingers into the warm, wet skin. Sango stiffened, digging her fingers into Miroku's shoulder.

"I'm sure he's used to it by now," Miroku replied, flicking the nipple of Sango's other breast as he gently rubbed between her legs. "I'd rather think about you right now, though." Sango finally gave into him, knowing that Miroku wasn't going to let her stop, and not really wanting to stop, anyway. Reaching down between them, Sango found Miroku's hard length and moved her hips over it, keeping it in position as Miroku held her open. Lowering her body, Sango bit down on her lower lip as his arousal stretched and filled her. She felt Miroku place his feet farther apart, and once she seated herself, she hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and spread the material to the sides.

Miroku loved the way she looked right then. With the straps to her slip still clinging to her arms and her breasts bouncing slightly as the limo sped to the airport, her face was a little flushed, and she looked to be as lustful for his body as he was for hers. Sango rubbed her palms once over his pecks as she began to move, and Miroku's hands returned to her hind end. Sango then leaned back, bracing her hands on Miroku's thighs, which thrust out her breasts. Closing her eyes, Sango set a fast pace, bucking and grinding herself over him. She could hear Miroku's strained grunts and groans, and soon felt him thrusting his own hips up in an attempt to create more sensation—it worked. Gasping for air, Sango squeezed her inner muscles around his searing arousal with each stroke. When Miroku brought a hand between them and pressed his thumb to the tiny nub of nerves above her entrance, Sango clamped her hand over her mouth and moaned into it.

Miroku pulled her towards him again, keeping his thumb pressed to the right spot, and consumed her mouth as she rapidly bucked her hips against him. Forcing herself to keep quiet, Sango swallowed every groan and sigh that her throat wanted to release and planted her hands on her husband's chest. Stopping the kiss to catch her breath, Sango looked down at him with heated eyes and softly said,

"It could only feel this good with you..." Hearing Miroku's heavy breathing and feeling the way his hands clutched at her, Sango swiveled her hips with each downward thrust, and made love to her husband for another few short moments before sensing that her body was coming close to climax. Sango pulled herself as close to Miroku as she could, still bucking hard against him, and was warmed by the feeling of his mouth on her neck and his arm around her while his other hand held onto her hip. _He's mine now..._ Both panting and gleaming with perspiration, they clung to each other, eyes shut tight and bodies taut.

Sango was making small, carnal sounds meant only for his ears as she tried to keep her voice down, and Miroku loved every single one of them. The noises she was making were increasing in pitch, so he let his mind go, concentrating on the feel of her body sliding over his. _Sango..._ Hearing a gasp in his ear and feeling her stiffen, Miroku bucked his hips up twice more, clenching his teeth and grunting into her shoulder as his seed shot into her body. Sango's mouth hung open as her muscles fluttered rapidly over the hot length buried inside her body and squeezed out slick liquid over the warmth spreading into her muscles. Both let out hesitant breaths as their bodies hummed with pleasure, and Sango relaxed against Miroku's chest.

"That's the best car ride I've ever had," Miroku joked, setting his hand between Sango's shoulder blades. Sango smiled against his neck, wondering how much time they had to get dressed before arriving at the airport terminal.

_-Limo #2: Maru and Rin-_

Rin had managed to beat off Maru's roaming hands while changing into her sweater and jeans, and they sat together whispering quietly for a couple of minutes. Lowering the partition, Maru called up to the driver,

"How much longer until we reach the airport?" The driver "hoho"-ed like all old men should, and checked his watch.

"Ohhhh...I'd sayyy about 20 minutes. We're only going about forty for a while due to traffic, sir. You'll still have plenty o' time, I'm sure." Rin blushed, thinking he meant plenty of time to have sex in the back of the limo, but it only took a few seconds for her to realize that he meant have enough time to make it to the plane. Maru thanked the driver and raised the partition again.

"Are you thirsty?" Rin asked, leaning down to look inside the limo's mini-fridge. There were two little bottles of water, a few alcoholic beverages, some soda pop, and two cartons of milk. _Wow, they know how to stock a refrigerator._ Rin looked over her shoulder at Maru when he didn't answer her for a few seconds, and saw him licking his lips.

He had tried to be good—Rin felt uncomfortable fooling around in a limousine so Maru was planning on waiting until they reached the Bahamas, but when Rin leaned over to look inside the mini-fridge, her sweater pulled up with her shoulders, revealing two inches of perfect skin on her lower back. Normally, Maru would have been able to contain himself, but...it was their wedding day and knowing that he would have exclusive rights to Rin and her succulent body for the rest of their lives...well, the temptation was too much.

Leaning over to her and securing his arms around her, Maru pulled Rin back onto his lap, getting a giggle out of Rin. He kicked the door of the fridge shut and scoot his rear to the edge of the seat.

"Maru, if you wanted to that badly...you could have told me," Rin whispered as he nuzzled the spot behind her ear. His breathing was heavy against her back, and his cologne easily reached her nose. Rin reached down and unbuttoned the front of her jeans, pulling the zipper down as Maru squeezed his hands between their bodies to loosen his own pants. Once Rin's jeans were loose, Maru slipped his hand beneath the waist of her panties. Rin shifted to sit over both of Maru's thighs, with one leg on either side of him. Laying her head back upon his shoulder, Rin closed her eyes as Maru fondled her body beneath her sweater and underwear.

"Where...unnhhh...where do you want to go first...oh, God...when...when we get to the beach?" Rin asked, squirming a little as his two longest fingers rubbed at the tiny pearl hidden beneath soft folds of flesh. She loosely wrapped her fingers around each of his wrists.

"We get our own Jacuzzi, right? And our own sauna?" Maru whispered. He moved his hand a bit harder, rolling the spot between the pads of his fingers. Rin moaned out a 'yes,' though whether or not she meant it as a response to his question, Maru wasn't sure. "Well, I'd like to visit the sauna first...we'll take a couple of towels to put on the wooden benches...I'm going to lie you down once the air inside is hot enough to blush your skin." Rin was weakly bucking against his hand, but listening to him all the same. "Then I'll open your thighs...and let the warm air roll over you...before tasting how warm your body is inside the heat of the room." Rin moaned softly, biting down on her lip. Maru rubbed faster, needing to join her soon.

"I'll..._unnhhh_...I'll be sure—to return the favor...I want to see what you look like...inside a sauna with your hair down and...unh...and with me on my knees in front of you...I want to see the look on your face," Rin breathlessly confessed. Maru tightened his arm around her and rapidly moved his fingers. Feeling how Rin's body flexed and then stiffened, Maru's length was hot and thick for her, needing satisfaction and needing it now. Rin's mouth was open but quiet, and she finally relaxed against her husband.

After some shifting, Rin's jeans and panties hung heavily from one of her ankles, Maru's arousal was free from his slacks, and Rin was braced over Maru's lap with her hands on the seat and her feet on the limousine floor. He held her open as she sunk down to the hilt of his body. Sighing, Maru held Rin tight against him, moving her body with his arms and bucking upwards. He spread his feet further apart, which opened up Rin's legs as well since they were draped over his own. Rin gripped his forearm tightly and set her other hand on her right thigh as he thrust harder.

Neither could speak...the tension was high and both were emotional from the special day. Rin could hear Maru's harsh breathing in her ear and became aware of how fast she was breathing. Maru realized how hot it felt inside the limo and could feel the bumps of the road underneath them as he pumped into Rin's body. Rin was conscious of the feel of Maru's slacks against her thighs and the way his member stretched her. Maru loved the way Rin smelled...she always wore that perfume for him. The slight weight of her body..._She fits inside my arms so well._ The searing sting of climax was clawing up his arousal, and Maru grunted into Rin's shoulder, trying to slow himself down.

So many feelings overwhelmed Rin at once—happiness from becoming a wife, Maru's wife; excitement from being alone with him and her two best friends for three weeks; and physical pleasure from making love with Maru. Rin held her mouth against Maru's neck and moaned into it as sensation found her. Her inner muscles throbbed heavily, and she felt Maru's arms tighten around her ribs as he climaxed into her. Gasping in breath, Rin ran her hand over her forehead, realizing that Maru's hand was still underneath her sweater, and seeing her left tennis shoe off to the side. Rin laughed a little, and said,

"Do you think this will tide you over until we get to the hotel?" Rin said, moving off of Maru and pulling her sweater down. Maru reached for some tissues on his side of the limo and handed her a few as he wiped the perspiration off of his face.

"I hope so...because I think it's unsafe to have sex in an airplane bathroom," Maru joked, dressing himself once again. Rin smiled, zipping up her jeans and pulling her hair back. She reached into the fridge next to her and pulled out the two bottles of water. Sitting next to Maru again, she handed him one and drank about half of her own. "Thirsty?" Maru said, opening his bottle.

"It's your fault," Rin answered, pouting. Sidling up to him, Rin set her arm around his shoulders and pulled herself close. "But I hope you always desire me. I love you, Maru." He held her jaw as he pressed a kiss to her lips, and then pulled back only an inch or so. The look on his face was intense, and Rin felt captivated by it.

"I love you, too. I'll always love you." Rin's eyes were shiny with tears but she held them back. Hugging her husband to her, Rin's heart felt full and warm. And she silently declared to herself, _New York rocks!_


End file.
